MGP wants all Goa MLAs, MPs to resign over Kalasa Banduri row

Two days after Union minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted about grant of environment clearance (EC) to a drinking water project on the Mahadayi river in Karnataka, the MGP in Goa on Friday asked legislators from the coastal state to resign in protest.

Sudin Dhavalikar, MLA and leader of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, said all members of the Goa Assembly and three MPs from the state should resign en masse, if the Centre did not withdraw the EC granted to the Kalasa Banduri project.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured in the assembly that the interest of the Mahadayi river wouldn't be compromised, Dhavalikar said.

"But the developments in Delhi suggest that the state government has failed to keep its promise," he said.

"The Congress has demanded a special Assembly session to discuss the issue. But I will go a step further and insist that all 40 MLAs and three MPs from Goa (including one Rajya Sabha member) tender their resignations in protest if the issue is not sorted out within a month," Dhavalikar said.

"Mahadayi is Goa's lifeline. We cannot comprise on the issue," he said, adding that MGP leaders will tour the state to create awareness about the issue.

On Wednesday, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar tweeted about the project in Karnataka getting a clearance.

"On the follow up with my cabinet colleague @JoshiPralhad (Union Mines Minister), Kalasa Banduri drinking water project in Karnataka has been granted environmental approval," he said.

The distribution of the water of the Mahadayi (also called Mandovi/Mhadei) has been a bone of contention between neighbouring states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka for three decades.

In August 2018, the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal in its award allotted 13.42 TMC (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mhadei river basin to Karnataka. Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC.

Both Goa and Karnataka have filed petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the tribunal award.