Team Herald
MARGAO: Curtorim Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco has demanded that immediate steps be taken for filing a petition before NGT challenging granting of environment approval for the Kalasa-Banduri project.
He also demanded that Goa government lead an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister to press for his intervention in Mhadei matter.
Terming the environment approval as betrayal of Goa by the Central government when the matter is before the Supreme Court, Reginaldo said, “This is unfair and undemocratic. Damming and diversion of the natural flow through Kalasa-Bhandura project will cause tremendous losses to Goa’s fragile ecology, environment, wildlife, and livelihood.”
“As Karnataka has been given environmental approval, once again work of damming and diverting the Kalasa, the Haltara and the Bhandura tributaries will resume. This will have a catastrophic effect on the Surla village of Sattari taluka and also on the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary of Goa and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka,” Reginaldo reminded.
“In April 2002, the Union Ministry of Water Resources had granted in-principle clearance to Karnataka for diverting 7.56 TMC of water through Kalasa-Bhandura project. However, the Goa government took strong objection and led an all-party delegation to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who subsequently kept the clearance in abeyance. Both the States of Karnataka and Maharashtra have filed the petitions before the Supreme Court for claiming more share of the Mhadei water,” Reginaldo reminded further.
“Goa government, taking objections for claims of Karnataka and Maharashtra, has filed its petition before the apex court. So far no hearing has been taken place before the Supreme Court in this matter,” Reginaldo said.
“Presently, Karnataka has completed most of the work of the Kalasa canal and since the last two years made the arrangement to facilitate water of the Kalasa nallah into the Malprabha river without obtaining mandatory clearances,” Reginaldo pointed out.
