Team Herald

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Karnataka, the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal allowed additional 5.5 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Goa share for its drinking water needs. It allowed diversion of water to the Malaprabha reservoir during the monsoon for drinking water and irrigation in its four districts.

The Goa government was opposing this diversion since it affected the water flow in the Mandovi river, the lifeline of the State. It also feared that the reservoir in Karnataka will result in submergence of over 700 hectares of forests and destruction of some 60,000 trees.

In its interim award in 2016, the Tribunal had rejected Karnataka’s demand for 7.5 TMC from Goa quota for drinking water to the twin cities of Hubbali-Dharwad and villages in parts of Gadag and Belagavi districts.

In its final award ending five decades of the dispute submitted to Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, the tribunal headed by Justice J M Panchal also allotted another 8.02 TMC to Karnataka to produce electricity from the hydroelectric project on the river that means the State is allowed to draw 13.52 TMC before releasing water to the Mandovi river in Goa.

The voluminous report running into 12 volumes requires thorough study, but Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the United States for medical treatment was quick to react: “I am happy that the Mhadei (Mahadayi) Tribunal with its final verdict has done justice to Goa. I thank the legal team and everyone who have fought relentlessly for protecting our lifeline Mhadei.” 

Karnataka, however, preferred to study the report before a reaction even as its counsel before the tribunal said the state will take the next course of action of either appealing before the Supreme Court or filing reference for explanation or guidance before the tribunal.

Stressing that equitable distribution of the river water among three states is “neither necessary nor feasible”, the tribunal awarded use of 24 TMC by Goa as against its demand for 122 TMC in view of the area the river covers in the State. This would be over and above the existing utilisation of 9.395 TMC by the State.

In the case of Maharashtra, 1.33 TMC from the Mahadayi was allotted against its demand for 6.5 TMC.

Reports from Bengaluru, however, indicated that Karnataka will insist for 2 TMC it lost despite the award giving it water to Hubli-Dharwad twin city and some 150 villages for drinking. Had it got 7.52 TMC, its plan was to supply water to 180 villages.

There is no clarity on Karnataka wanting to build barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the two tributaries of the Mhadei, but sources said allocation of 5.5 TMC will meet 1.5 TMC requirement of the two reservoirs.

The Goa government had sought constitution of the tribunal way back in 2002 to stop Karnataka diverting the river water as it affected the downstream flow of the Mandovi river. 

The tribunal was finally set up on August 21, 2013 to settle the river water share dispute of Goa with the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, asking it to give its report within three years. Its term was last extended up to August 20.

Goa’s basic claim was to prevent Karnataka depriving it of water by building dams and reservoirs. It based its claim for larger share on the ground that water flows 52 km in the Mandovi river before falling into the Arabian sea as against the Mhadei river that originates at Bhimghad in Belgaum districts flows only first 35 km in Karnataka.

The river water issue has often led Goa and Karnataka to engage in bitter battle of words, while Maharashtra has only a small share and no dispute with Karnataka.