Karnataka govt to convene all-party meet on Mahadayi river water sharing issue

The Karnataka government Wednesday said it will soon call an all-party meeting to discuss whether to challenge a tribunal's verdict on sharing Mahadayi river water with neighbouring states.

The Mahadayi River Water Tribunal (MRWT) on August 14 ruled that Karnataka will get 13.4 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from the river, while Goa and Maharashtra will be allowed to use 24 TMC and 1.33 TMC of water respectively.

"We are not satisfied with the verdict. We will call an all-party meeting soon to take a call whether to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court or Tribunal," Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar told reporters here.

The state has got less water against the demand of 36.558 TMC water from Mahadayi. "This is grave injustice meted to us. We will fight legally," he said.

According to the tribunal's verdict, of the 13.4 TMC of water, Karnataka has been permitted to divert 2.18 TMC at proposed Bhandura dam and 1.72 TMC at proposed Kalasa dam subject to certain conditions.

Karnataka will also get 1.5 TMC of water for in-basin use for irrigation and water supply and 8.02 TMC for generating power at the Mahadayi Hydro Electricity Project.

In a 12-volume judgement, the tribunal had said the equitable distribution of Mahadayi waters among three states -- Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra -- is "neither necessary nor feasible" at this stage.

"In the absence of any apportionment of water amongst the party states, the activities related to water resources development for the benefit of the society must not stop and people of the party state must not suffer," the tribunal had observed while passing the order.