Mhadei water dispute: Goa CM-led all party delegation to meet Javadekar today

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will on Monday lead an all-party delegation to meet Union Minister Prakash Javadekar to oppose the issue of Mhadei River at every appropriate forum.

Speaking to ANI, Sawant said that he would urge Javadekar to withdraw the letter written by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to a Karnataka government agency.

"We will oppose the issue of Mhadei River at every appropriate forum, whether it is the National Green Tribunal or Supreme Court. We will express our opposition wherever needed," Sawant said on the sidelines of a Raj Bhavan ceremony on Sunday.

Commenting on the agenda of his all-party delegation, which is scheduled to meet Javdekar in the national capital today, Sawant said, "We are going to meet him with regards to withdrawal of the letter issued by his ministry."

Last month, Sawant had written a letter to Javdekar demanding to withdraw the clearance given to Kalasa-Banduri drinking project on the Mhadei River.

"As approval from environmental considerations has been granted by the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate (MoFE) change for the diversion of Mahadayi waters to Malaprabha basin through Kalasa-Bhanduri, alleged for drinking water purposes, by the state of Karnataka," Sawant wrote in the letter.

Sawant further stated that five wildlife sanctuaries and one bird sanctuary within the Mahadayi basin and the basin area is ecologically fragile and a hotspot of biodiversity.

"The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, which was adjudicating the disputes between Goa and Karnataka for sharing water has given its award in August 2018. However, Section 5(3) of the ISWD Act allows the parties to seek clarification from the Tribunal regarding the Award. Accordingly, certain clarifications have been sought from the Tribunal by all the three parties," Sawant wrote.

The river called Mahadayi in Karnataka and Mhadei in Goa has been a bone of contention between the two neighbouring states since decades, it originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa, while briefly flowing through Maharashtra.