Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Central government’s move to notify the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) Award was may be with “malafide intention”, the Minister for Water Resources Department (WRD) Filipe Nery Rodrigues informed the House on Wednesday.
Admitting diversion of water from Mhadei River basin by Karnataka, Rodrigues said that two nallahs of Kalasa River at chainage 180m and 630m from Mhadei Basin at Kanakumbhi are diverted to Malaprabha River through interconnecting R.C.C. conduits; however, the quantum of water diverted is not known.
He was responding to the question tabled by the Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat.
Rodrigues said the Centre’s decision to notify the Mhadei Tribunal Award was “utter surprise”.
“The sudden developments regarding the notification of Award/Decision of the Tribunal were a utter surprise as it is felt that as no opportunity was given to Goa for filling objections on Karnataka’s application of July 2019 by not serving the same to our Standing Counsel, may be with malafide intention,” the minister said.
He informed that State then filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court for an Interim Relief restraining the State of Karnataka and State of Maharashtra from taking any steps and/or from carrying out of any activity.
The minister informed that the matter was heard on March 2, 2020 and the bench stated that as per Clauses X of the Award dated August 8, 2018 the Order of the Tribunal dated 17/04/2014 is to continue in operation while certain conditions fulfilled.
“The publication of the Award by the Union Government is technical formality and does not entitle the State of Karnataka or Maharashtra to carry out construction or divert any water as the Award of the Tribunal itself has continued Interim Order dated 17-04-2014 and 11-02-2015 whereby State of Karnataka and State of Maharashtra have been restrained from carrying out any diversion of any quantum of water or any construction activity,” Rodrigues said.
He informed the House that the Government of Karnataka has recently submitted feasibility reports of Kalsa Nala Diversion Scheme and Bhandura Nala Diversion Scheme to Central Water Commission (CWC), and these are under appraisal.
