VASCO: Expressing shock that Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) Minister Prakash Javdekar has been evading the issue of withdrawing the letter granting Karnataka the environmental clearance for the Kalsa Banduri fresh water project, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha on Thursday demanded a fresh inspection of the site.
She said it is extremely important that a similar site inspection be conducted once again along with the representatives of the two respective States so that fraudulent measures resorted to by the Karnataka government to divert the Mhadei waters can be exposed and justice can be rendered to the people of Goa.
Applauding the stand taken Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, to stand by the people of Goa in case, the said letter granting EC is not withdrawn at the earliest and file a case against MOEF&CC, Saldanha said, “This is one time, I am sure, when all the people of Goa will stand united because this is a fight for survival. We have to let the Central government know that we, the people of Goa, will not allow the Centre to treat us like second class citizens by pushing on us projects that are detrimental to the state and its people.”
She said, “The Centre and Karnataka government are well aware that Goa is totally dependent on the Mhadei River for its fresh water while Karnataka has seven freshwater rivers that can provide drinking water.”
Alina added, “It will be unjust on the part of the Central government to deprive Goa of its drinking water as it is an accepted fact that the diversion of the Mhadei water will leave Goa totally parched as Goa’s famous River Mandovi, the only source of Goa’s drinking water will gradually but definitely dry up.”
She also recalled the an earlier site inspection carried out at Karnataka’s Belgaum district, at which Pramod Sawant, the then Speaker of Goa’s Legislative Assembly, herself and many other ministers and legislators were present, where it was very evidently observed how the Mhadei waters were fraudulently being diverted through hidden pipes.
