Union govt assures positive solution to resolve Mhadei river dispute

The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javdekar on Friday, assured the Governor of Goa Satya Pal Malik of a positive solution for the Mhadei dispute between Goa and Karnataka in a day or two.

According to a press release, Malik on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to New Delhi and discussed the issue of the dispute surrounding the Mhadei river, and the environmental clearance given to the Kalasa-Bhandura water project by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The Governor emphasized the importance of Mhadei water to the state of Goa and stated that it was the lifeline of the people of Goa.

The Prime Minister has also given assurance that the issue will be resolved shortly.

Earlier, Congress workers staged a protest in Goa after Javdekar granted consent to Karnataka's Kalasa-Bhandura project, which is undertaken by the Karnataka government aims to improve drinking water supply to the Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag districts.

The sharing of the waters of Mhadei river has been the cause of a dispute between the governments of Karnataka and Goa for over two decades.