PANJIM: In yet another victory for Goa in the Mhadei water diversion row, Karnataka on Monday withdrew its special leave petition (SLP) filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) order rejecting its plea to divert seven TMC of water from the Mhadei river basin to the Malaprabha reservoir.
The SLP was withdrawn after the Apex Court declined to interfere in the Tribunal’s order. The SLP was supported by the Maharashtra government, which is also at loggerheads with Goa over the
Mhadei water diversion.
Additional Solicitor General of India, Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing on behalf of Goa, said that the SLP filed by Karnataka had to be withdrawn after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the Tribunal’s order.
Adv F S Nariman, senior counsel of Karnataka argued at length before the Apex Court. “Sensing court’s likely order, Karnataka prayed to withdraw their SLP with liberty to move the Tribunal again for leave to furnish further data and reports in support of its claims,” Nadkarni said.
The Supreme Court allowed Karnataka to withdraw the SLP granting liberty to present further details. “Karnataka stated that Maharashtra has supported them in their prayer opposing Goa,” he said.
MWDT, whose term has been extended by another year, had on July 27, 2016, rejected Karnataka’s plea to divert seven TMC of Mahdei’s water to the Malaprabha reservoir. However, its main petition to divert 56 TMC of water from Mhadei, filed in 2006, is still pending.
Karnataka, in August, had approached the Apex Court challenging the order and claimed that the Tribunal had “grossly erred” on wastage of water going to the sea.
Following this, the Tribunal had asked Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka to attempt to find an amicable solution to the tussle. The meeting, which was scheduled to take place in October, was cancelled after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar could not make it due to other appointments.
