Goa leaders protest environment clearance to K'taka's Mahadayi

Several leaders held a protest in Goa on Friday against the Centre's decision to give environment clearance to neighbouring Karnataka's Kalasa Banduri project on the Mahadayi River.

Goa and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over the sharing of Mahadayi River waters, and Kalasa Banduri project aims at providing drinking water to three north Karnataka districts by diverting water from the Mahadayi river in Goa.

Among those who took part in the protest, called by the Progressive Front of Goa, were former deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai, former state Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee president Pratima Coutinho, Goa Shiv Sena chief Jitesh Kamat and NGO functionaries.

As part of the protest, they blocked the national highway at Porvorim for one hour before deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar met the leaders and convinced them to call it off.

Friday's protest comes ahead of a delegation from Goa meeting Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi on November 4.

"CM Sawant should head the all-party delegation to the Prime Minister instead of Javadekar. If he is unable to get the PM's appointment, then he should resign. The issue of Mahadayi in non negotiable," said Khaunte.

Sardesai called the all-party delegation an "eyewash" but said his GFP would be part of it to "see what is being discussed".

The all-party delegation, which was announced by Sawant, will include Union Minister for Ayush and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, state Minister for Water Resources Filip Neri Rodrigues, apart from Congress, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders.

Advocate General Devidas Pangam, Chief Engineer Sandeep Nadkarni and Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan members Nirmala Sawant and Rajendra Kerkar will also be part of it.