BELGAUM: In an effort to revive the work of the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project, advocates from north Karnataka have planned a legal workshop in Belgaum.
The advocates are also expected to petition Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to withdraw the case before the Kalsa Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT).
Advocates from four districts of north Karnataka – Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag and Bagalkot will discuss legal issues related to the project and advise the Karnataka government in this regard. The workshop will be conducted in the advocates’ auditorium in the court campus in Belgaum on July 20.
Briefing media persons about the workshop, former president of Belgaum Bar Association Adv A G Mulwadmath said Karnataka has taken up the project to utilize just 7.56 TMC water out of the about 230 TMC water which literally is wasted flowing into the Arabian Sea. Nine talukas in the four districts of north Karnataka will benefit if the project is taken up.
However, the Supreme Court stopped the work following direction from the Kalsa Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT) and the work could be restarted by organising a dialogue between both the state governments.
“We will also persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to withdraw the case, as the project is similar to his plan of linking of the rivers,” Adv Mulwadmath added.
Kalsa Bhandura Horata Samiti President Vijay Kulkarni said the committee, with the assistance of the advocates in Karnataka, will fight a legal battle for the implementation of the project with renewed strength being offered by the advocates in the region.
