Will study Centre's move on Kalasa Banduri project: Goa CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday sought time for spelling out his government's stand on the Centre's decision to accord environmental clearance to Kalasa Banduri project, aimed at providing drinking water to three districts in Karnataka by diverting water from the Mahadayi river in Goa.

Sawant said he would first study the matter.

"I will study the matter before offering a comment. I will go through the matter. I am not sure what has happened," Sawant told reporters.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday took to tweeter to announce grant of the green clearance for the project.

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

The project is aimed at providing drinking water to the three important districts of north Karnataka Belagavi, Gadag and Dharwad, which go parched in summer due to acute water scarcity.

The project involves diverting water from Mahadayi river, the lifeline of Goa, into the Malaprabha river.

Former deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai said the move will "kill" the Mahadayi river.

"Shocked and Outraged. This is no drinking water project. This is 'Kill Mahadayi River' project. A plan we, as a party and as partners in government, fought tooth and nail," he tweeted.

"The diversion of water from Mahadayi is inexcusable, unjustified and an affront to all goemkars," Sardesai tweeted.

On August 14 last year, the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) had allotted 13.42 TMC water (including 3.9 TMC water for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

The tribunal was hearing a dispute between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra for nearly two decades over sharing of water of the river.

It alloted 1.33 TMC water to Maharashtra.