Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major disclosure, the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said that Maharashtra government did not secure environmental clearances (EC) for the controversial Virdi dam, currently in a legal battle before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT).
“Maharashtra government did not secure environmental clearances for the Virdi dam on the pretext that the culturable command area (CCA) of the project is less than 2000 hectares, requiring no environmental clearances,” Bharti disclosed in reply to a question tabled by Shantaram Naik in Parliament on Monday.
Bharti said the Goa Government, however, protested that construction of the dam poses “serious threat to environment and water availability downstream for drinking water supply”. The Maharashtra government, however, denied these apprehensions.
The Goa government has already secured a stay on the filling of the gorge portion of the dam from the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal vide its order dated May 6, 2015, the minister said, adding that the matter is sub judice.
In June the State government had filed a petition with the Water Disputes Tribunal against the Maharashtra government over the proposed Virdi Large Minor Irrigation Project, declaring the project illegal and order the Maharashtra government against proceeding with the project.
Despite informing MWDT that it will stop all the work on the proposed dam, the Maharashtra government fraudulently continued the work on the project.
In 2006, then Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane and Maharashtra counterpart Vilasrao Deshmukh had agreed in principle to the proposal of a dam at Pavalachi Kond in Virdi on condition that the riparian requirements of Goa are satisfied and water be utilized in the Mhadei basin itself.
In January 2008, Goa chief secretary had written to his Maharashtra counterpart asking Maharashtra to stop all work on the Virdi dam till the matter is disposed off by the tribunal.
