Both, the Prime Minister and the EF&CC Minister, assured the Governor that the issue would be resolved and the Minister even said that a solution would come in a day or two. While there has been no solution yet, the Congress on Sunday took their protest on the environmental approval given to Karnataka for the Kalsa-Bhnadura project to Delhi, where they demanded the immediate revocation of the letter. This hasn’t helped either.
In fact, all the representations made by the State on the issue have yielded no result. Over a month ago, the Chief Minister had led an all-party delegation to Delhi, where they met Javdekar who had also assured them a solution. Yet, there has been no such solution coming, but only a number of assurances on the matter, despite the Governor and the Chief Minister having sought a solution from the Centre.
If Goa has to depend on the Centre for a solution to the Mhadei issue, past experience does not inspire much confidence. Take the case of the mining imbroglio that the State is facing. After depending on the Central government for a solution, and umpteen trips to New Delhi, the State has approached the Supreme Court with a review petition on the matter. A year ago, mining affected persons from Goa had protested in New Delhi demanding the resumption of mining. A year later, there is no solution. Could therefore, the Mhadei issue also remain pending for months, until such time that the Centre decides what is to be done?
Goa cannot keep waiting for a solution from the Centre. It has to press ahead and get the matter resolved immediately. Any vacillation on the subject could be construed as weakness on the part of Goa, giving Karnataka the upper hand in the matter. That cannot be allowed, and it is the government that has to ensure this. The opposition can merely play a minor role in this matter. The Goa case has to be on fact and data to show that any diversion of water from the Mhadei can have a dangerous impact on the State, with no debate on this.
It has to be stressed that Goa, as the Congress memorandum points out, faces drinking water scarcity on a regular basis. There is a resolution of Legislative Assembly recommending that the State government declare Goa as a water deficit State. If Goa intends to defend its demands that no water from the Mhadei can be diverted, then it is declarations such as these that can boost the State’s arguments.
A lot of water has flown down the Mhadei since the water diversion issue first emerged. A lot more will flow, but how long can the State allow the matter of diversion of this water to hang in balance? There is an award from the tribunal, there is a case pending in court, but the turns that the case takes rivals the bends in the river as it flows through the States of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. There has to be a final solution to the Mhadei case, as it cannot be allowed to remain unresolved, allowing the other States to interfere in the flow of water to the detriment of Goa.
