l Tribunal’s deadline to build wall to prevent water diversion to Malaprabha basin ends today
l AG optimistic but says he will file for contempt if deadline not met l Team Herald’s spot visit gives a different picture
VIBHA VERMA
MHADEI-KANKUMBI: The Mhadei retaining wall is nowhere near complete and by the time you read this, it will be miracle if the wall is complete to meet, through a superhuman effort in the next 12 hours, the deadline of May 31 set by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal. The Karnataka government is bound to complete the wall to stop the diversion of water from Mhadei river to Malaprabha basin upstream on the border.
The wall is being constructed on the Khalsa canal in the Khalsa Bhandura tributary.
Notwithstanding Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni exuding confidence that 90 per cent of the work is complete, Herald, which visited the spot on May 29, realized that little over half the work had been done (for a detailed picture see our special package on page2).
A couple of days ago, Principal Secretary Parimal Rai too had inspected the site to find the work only halfway complete.
This is what this reporter saw. 60 per cent of the retaining wall on the right vent has been completed while barely 50 percent work is done on the left vent. What’s even more surprising is that the work for restoration of the ridge line to separate Malaprabha with Mhadei river basins is yet to take off.
Karnataka officials deny they are at fault even two days prior to the deadline. But Herald learnt that construction of the brick wall began only about 10 days ago though an order was pronounced on April 17 giving a time limit till May 31, 2014. (see box on page 2 for the operative part of the order)
During the hearing, the tribunal had constituted a panel of technical experts to examine the matter about setting a deadline for constructing a retaining wall. An opinion was also obtained from the representatives of three states — Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka before finalizing the deadline of May 31.
One of the members of high-powered committee Ashok Wasanad said, “ the work is almost complete.”
Environmentalist and member of Mhadei Bachao Samiti, Rajendra Kerkar however says that this is nothing new for Karnataka.
“This is always the policy of Karnataka government to disobey the law. They have taken advantage of loopholes,” he said.
Panel member and Superintendent of Water Resources Department Shrikant Patil said an interim report on the work was submitted to the tribunal and a final report will be submitted during the first week of June. “We are monitoring the work daily. Joint inspections have also been carried out,” he told Herald.
The order was passed after Karnataka agreed that both vents of the canal would be plugged with a brick masonry embankment to stop the diversion.
