Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Goa challenging the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal’s order allocating water to Karnataka and Maharashtra. Senior Counsel Arvind Datar will present the case on behalf of Goa.
The information was shared by WRD Minister for Water Resources Felipe Neri Rodrigues.
“We will leave no stone unturned to protect the interest of the State. The SLP, filed by the State government in the SC, is coming up for hearing for admission on Monday and senior counsel Arvind Datar will appear for Goa,” he said.
He assured that the Goa govt will not allow the diversion of Mhadei water by Karnataka. He was intervened by Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane, who alleged that Karnataka, in violation of the law, was all set to divert water to its State. He also insisted that the minister visit the site at Kankumbi where there’s full-fledged activity undertaken by the neighbouring State.
“You go and see what preparations are done… heaps of metals are ready… In one night, they will divert all our water to their state. You (minister) have to take action,” he said.
Rodrigues stressed that the govt is not ignoring the issue. He further pointed out to various contempt petitions filed against Karnataka before the tribunal and the present SLP in the SC.
As per the order, Karnataka got 13.42tmcft of water of which 5.5tmcft for water was to be transferred to the Malaprabha basin and 8tmcft to be used for power generation. Goa had opposed Karnataka’s demands of over 36tmcft of water stating it would have an adverse effect on all well-established socio-economic activities and have disastrous environmental consequences. The State was allocated around 24tmcft while Maharashtra was allocated 1.3 tmc.
