Team Herald
PANJIM: Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro on Tuesday said that the Centre’s decision to grant approval to Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kalasa-Bandura dam project is patently illegal, violation of Supreme Court orders and in contempt of the Upper House.
Luizinho pointed out that he had raised the issue of diversion of Mhadei waters four times in the Rajya Sabha and had been assured by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti that the government would allow affected parties to raise their petitions till August 20, 2023. Therefore the approval granted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) is illegal and a complete betrayal of the people of Goa, he said.
“The Government of India has also committed contempt of Rajya Sabha,” he added.
Giving more details, Luizinho said that he raised the issue of Mhadei water diversion in the Rajya Sabha on November 30, 2021, March 24, 2022, August 8, 2022 and December 26, 2022 and the Minister for Jal Shakti had promised that the government will allow all affected parties to file their submissions before the Inter-State Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal upto August 20, 2023. The notification has been issued under Section 5(3) of Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, whereas the government had no business to issue these orders granting approval to Karnataka’s DPR.
“Mhadei River represents 60 per cent lifeline of the people of Goa. We worship our rivers and Mhadei today is not only just affecting water resources but it falls in highly eco-sensitive zone and also affecting Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act because it is on the Western Ghats. It is world’s eighth hotspot and much older than Himalayas. Interfering with Mhadei River and diverting waters is affecting Western Ghats, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Forest Reserve Act,” he said.
“I strongly condemn this proposed diversion which is unilateral and which is against all laws and against Supreme Court order. The Government of India should immediately withdraw its approval,” he demanded.
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ENV Kerkar, delegation stopped by Karnataka officials at Kalasa dam site
PANJIM: A delegation led by environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar had verbal clashes with the engineers of the Karnataka water resources department when the former had gone for a site inspection at the Kalasa dam project site and the diversion works carried out by the Karnataka.
The commotion started when the delegation consisting of Kerkar and leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was returning back after inspecting and Karnataka officials including an executive engineer objected to the presence of environmentalist Kerkar and started questioning him whether they had taken permission to visit the site since the matter was subjudice.
But he was soon joined by the AAP delegation comprising its president Adv Amit Palekar, MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva and Vice-president Pratima Coutinho, who demanded to know whether it was a prohibited area.
The delegation told Karnataka officials that as per Constitution of India, no citizen needs any permission to visit any public places anywhere across the country. When it was told to them that there were two MLAs from Goa, the Karnataka officials apologized to them.
Kerkar said that during the visit at Malaprabha, the locals expressed their opposition to the proposed dam work but it was unfortunate that the locals have no voice. “We spoke to locals at Malaprabha who are opposed to the proposed works. But they have no voice,” he said.
“It was shocking to see these ‘crime scenes’ of the destruction of our Mhadei River,” said MLA Viegas after the visit.
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Chinchinim p’yat resolves to urge PMO to withdraw the CWC approval
MARGAO: Village Panchayat Chinchinim-Deussua unanimously resolved to urge the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and other authorities concerned to withdraw the approval given to Karnataka DRP by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
Panch member Frank Viegas informed that the resolution was passed at the meeting held on Tuesday.
Chinchinim-Deussau panchayat became the first panchayat body after the approval of Karnataka DPR to pass the resolution in saving the Mhadei.
