09 Aug 2020  |   06:13am IST

K’taka’s ‘unjust’ water diversion policy will lead to water shortage in State: MLA

Team Herald

PONDA: Former PWD Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar on Saturday warned that Goa will face water shortage in future on account of Karnataka’s “unjust” water diversion policy. 

The MGP Marcaim MLA demanded that the State government should make a surplus budgetary provision of Rs 5,000 crore to meet future water requirements due to Karnataka’s “unjust” water diversion policy.

He said, “State and Central governments need to control Karnataka from diverting Mhadei water. Rs 5,000 crore should be spent on constructing dams, bhandaras, treatment plants, rain water harvesting etc and cautioned that Karnataka will succeed in diverting 50 per cent of Mhadei River water in the coming years.” He called for taking suitable action in this regard.

Dhavalikar said, “In the next 25 years, 50 per cent of Mhadei water flowing from Karnataka into Goa will be reduced and due to this the State will face major water crisis with regards to drinking, agricultural and irrigation water requirements. To meet this requirement, the state government should make the above budgetary provision. The State receives over 100 inches of rainfall, which needs to be stored instead of allowing it to flow into the sea.”