. Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Karnataka Congress leader, has supported diversion of Mhadei waters to Karnataka for drinking needs and agriculture
. Goans want to know if Digambar Kamat and Girish Chodankar have ever asked Rao whether he would fight for Goa’s rights to its sacred river, treated like a mother
The River Mhadei is our lifeline. And given the status of a beloved mother, Goans have fought for a over a decade against what is clearly established, unfair diversion of Mandovi (Mhadei) waters for farming and drinking water needs of Karnataka at the cost of Goa’s water needs and the certain destruction of ecology, that would almost threaten the river lifeline of Goans.
AICC Goa desk in-charge has fought for diversion of Mhadei waters from Goa for Karnataka’ water needs
Dinesh Gundu Rao in his various capacities, including that of the President of the Karnataka Congress, in an issue which is so sensitive to every Goan, needs to specify his stand since it is completely opposite of what Goans want and have been fighting for.
Have Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat or GPCC President Girish Chodankar promised to make Mhadei an important campaign issue? Have they ever asked Rao if he will endorse Goa’s stand?
Karnataka wants Goa’s waters, without any care so that they can build dams to provide drinking water to towns in four Karnataka districts. Have the two most important Goa Congress leaders, who are taking all decisions of the party, even realised that when the party goes to the polls in February the sons and daughters of the soil, will ask how the party plans to fight for Goa’s rights on Mhadei, when it has a desk in-charge who has been fighting for Karnataka’s rights, which will harm Goa?
NGOs turned political outfits fighting for Goa’s causes, who are seeking and getting support from Congress need to also answer to the people of Goa, if they demanded clarity on the Mhadei issue from Congress before seeking or accepting their support in any form.
Let us now see how Dinesh Rao has fought for Karnataka’s Mhadei interests.
In 2016 the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal rejected Karnataka’s interim plea to direct Goa to release 7.5 TMC water to the State. People in Karnataka reacted strongly on the apparent failure of the then Congress government of Karnataka to ensure that Goa was asked to divert water. Rao as working president and spokesman of the Karnataka Congress had tweeted, “All political parties need to fight unitedly on the #KalasaBanduri issue. (IB Times, Congress govt) (*Source: IB Times).
Dear Goans, this is the project the Goa AICC desk in charge has been fighting for
The Kalasa-Banduri project undertaken by the Karnataka government will divert River Mandovi water from Kalasa and Banduri canals into River Malaprabha for drinking water needs to 13 towns of Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkote and Gadag. The entire project aims to construct a total of 11 dams on River Mandovi.
The diversion of water from Kalasa and Banduri nullahs has been the highlight of the dispute between Karnataka and Goa.
Parrikar wrote to Yediyurappa saying Goa was ready to part with 7.56 TMC water, Rao sat on protest for early release of this water
In 2017 hundreds of farmers had camped outside the BJP headquarters in Karnataka on the issue of releasing of Mhadei River water to the north Karnataka districts, especially after the then Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wrote to Yediyurappa stating that his government was okay with parting with 7.56 TMC to meet drinking water needs.
Dinesh Rao visited the farmers to show his solidarity.
In 2018 Jan/Feb Karnataka Congress working president Rao supported a bandh call given by farmers. He said, “It’s the problem of our people. The prime minister should resolve the issue.”
Rao was very much with Karnataka farmers who demanded that Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa should come up with a joint gazette notification to implement the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal’s direction to allocate 5.5 tmcft water for drinking purposes and 8 tmcft for power generation to Karnataka in August 2018. (Source Mangalore Today).
One can surely state that a Karnataka politician was fighting for his State’s needs, but now as Goa in-charge, he will not fight for Goa’s interests and no Congressman is raising this issue.
What has Goa Congress done about it? Let it be known to all who claim to fight for Goa – Mhadei is a very sensitive issue. Money cannot be more important than Mother Mhadei.
Why just Mhadei, even on the issue of expansion of coal projects, the Congress does not have clean hands
Barely days before Digambar Kamat gave up office in 2012, his government gave the “consent to establish” a mechanised coal handling terminal at berth number 7 of 5.2 million tonnes which is a red category project (most sensitive).
The consent to a renewal of the Consent to Operate to the South West Port Limited for the manufacture and production of cooking coal, limestone and steel slabs was also given during his tenure.
Can people’s organisations and political parties which led a people’s struggle against the entry and transportation of coal into Goa explain on what basis they are taking or intending to take and have an understanding with the Congress in the forthcoming election.
But now, where is the Congress?
So where is the Congress? Does the “political snake in the grass” of Congress, disregard everything in Goa’s interest because he has his eye on the BJP? Does the conductor not bother because he is busy doing deals and it doesn’t matter what the state of the Congress is?
As we keep looking for the real Congress, Goans continues to be betrayed and robbed of their basic rights such as the protection of their lifeline – Mother Mhadei and keeping Goa free of coal pollution.
