Team Herald
PANJIM: Ahead of the final hearing on the inter-state water diversion issue involving Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT), Goa government has re-constituted its 16-member legal team headed by Senior Counsel Adv Atmaram Nadkarni.
The final hearing on the Mhadei water diversion will commence from February 6. The Tribunal’s verdict is expected by August.
The other 15-members of the team are Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande, Advocates Pratap Venugopal, Salvador Santosh Rebello, Mayuri Chawla, Amogh Prabhudessai, Nikita Nadkarni, Rajesh Shivolkar, Gautam Sharma, Ashvek Gosavi, Ashish Kuncolienkar, Akshaya Joglekar, Aurobindo Gomes Pereira, Amir Jamadar, Shaish Mahambre and Nikhil Pai.
“The aforesaid team, comprising of learned Senior Advocate, learned Advocate General, Advocate on record and thirteen advocates will be the main Mahadayi Team which will decide, co-ordinate appearances, pleadings, evidence and the entire trial before the Tribunal,” the order issued by Under Secretary Law Anju Kerkar, states.
The Water Resources Department has been directed to consult the legal team in the entire decision making with regards to the Mhadei issue.
The hearing before the Tribunal commenced in mid 2012, and Goa government has put up a strong case against the trans-basin diversion of water. Karnataka has proposed the diversion of 56 tmc of water from River Mhadei by constructing nearly 12 dams across the tributaries.
