Goemkarponn desk
DELHI: Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today said that the solution for the water dispute on the Mhadei River between Goa and Karnataka will come out soon.
A delegation of the Goa government, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday, met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital over the Mhadei river issue.
“There was an exchange of views regarding the water distribution of the Mahadayi river between us. Surely the solution to this issue will come out soon,” said Shekhawat.
The delegation urged for the immediate constitution of the Mhadei Water Management Authority as given in the award and also urged for the withdrawal approval given to Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR) for the disputed Kalsa-Bhanduri dam project.
“Met the Home Minister, Amit Shah, in New Delhi and urged for immediate constitution of the Mhadei Water Management Authority as given in the award and also urged for the withdrawal of the DPR sanctioned by CWC,” said CM Sawant.
Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “We briefed him on the present scenario and put forth our views to the Home Minister on the Mhadei issue.”
The Goa government has also objected to the Central Water Commission’s decision to sanction the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka to construct two dams on the Mahadayi river.
Goa and Karnataka are at loggerheads over diversion of water from the Mahadayi river through the construction of dams by Karnataka on the river’s tributaries Kalasa and Banduri.
The Goa government has contended that Karnataka cannot divert water from the Mahadayi river, as it passes through the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located downstream in North Goa.
The Centre recently approved the DPR submitted by Karnataka for the construction of the two dams.
While the river runs 28.8 km in Karnataka, it is over 50 km in length in the state of Goa. Goa, Karnataka are battling out a two-decade-long dispute over the sharing of the Mhadei waters.
The delegation included Union minister and North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Tendulkar, state Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane, Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and other leaders from the coastal state.
Goa and Karnataka are at loggerheads over diversion of water from the Mahadayi river through the construction of dams by Karnataka on the river’s tributaries Kalasa and Banduri.
The Goa government has contended that Karnataka cannot divert water from the Mahadayi river, as it passes through the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located downstream in North Goa.
The Centre recently approved the DPR submitted by Karnataka for the construction of the two dams.
Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra have challenged the award by the inter-state water dispute tribunal in 2019 over sharing water of the Mahadayi river. The case is currently before the Supreme Court.
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