Team Herald
PONDA: Marcaim MLA and MGP leader Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar has threatened to launch an agitation on January 19 at Sattari to protest against Karnataka for diverting water from Mhadei River.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Dhavalikar said that Karnataka has already diverted 27 MLD of Mhadei water, but the State and Central governments failed to take action the same.
Calling upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to study the effect of Mhadei water diversion by Karnataka, he said that the effect of diversion will be felt at Opa water treatment plant.
He claimed that due to water diversion, saline water may enter into Opa plant in summer months. “If saline water enters the pumping station at Opa, it will affect all the pumps and the plant will stop functioning,” he warned.
He said that to prevent saline water from entering Opa River, Rs 5 crore bandara construction on Khandepar River was undertaken by the government, but it was halted due to opposition by some people. “There is a need to construct this bandara to prevent saline water from entering the Opa plant,” he emphasised.
Therefore, he appealed to Goans to keep aside their differences and join the agitation to save Mhadei River on which majority of Goans depend for water.
He said that MGP workers would protest at Sattari where the Mhadei River enters Goa. He informed that his party workers would stage a day-long dharna on the same day.
“Similar protests and dharnas will be held in Bicholim, Bardez, Sanquelim, Tiswadi and Ponda through which Mhadei water flows,” he informed.
Meanwhile, Dhavalikar welcomed the statement made by the newly elected BJP president Sadananad Tanavade that ZP election would be held on party lines. He said that the ten Congress and two MGP MLAs who joined the BJP had opposed to holding ZP election on party line.
