VISHANT VAZE
MAYEM: Goa Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni has explained that the natural flow of water coming to Goa from Maharashtra region should not be hampered ahead of the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal’s hearing on the Virdi dam scheduled on Friday.
D M Natvalkar, advocate of Maharashtra had told the tribunal that Maharashtra is ready to solve the issue through cooperation.
The Goa team headed by Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni, chief engineer Sandeep Nadkarni, and other members are already in New Delhi to attend the tribunal hearing. Goa made its stand very clear on the Virdi dam issue and has demanded that the work on the dam should stop and water flow coming to Goa should not stop.
It remains to be seen what steps the Maharashtra government would take and how the tribunal would react to Friday’s submission by both Maharashtra and Goa. During the last hearing, Maharashtra had taken a position that it would solve the vexed issue pertaining to the Virdi dam with Goa through discussion.
Adv Nadkarni has explained that the natural flow of water coming to Goa from Maharashtra region should not be hampered.
Since 2006 Maharashtra has undertaken work on construction of the Virdi dam without addressing the concerns of Goa. Work on the dam is already in progress with the height of the dam measuring 50 meter and length of 780 meter with a proposed water storage capacity of 14819 cubic metres. Maharashtra has already completed work on the dam and has started underground tunnel for carrying water from Mhadei basin to Tilari basin.
Adv Nadkarni conducted meeting with chief engineer Nadkarni, additional chief engineer Premanand Kamat and others to chalk out the strategy for Friday’s hearing on the Virdi dam.
It is understood that both Maharashtra and Goa shortly will have a joint inspection of the Virdi dam and decide the future course of action .Goa has taken strong objection on the irregularities that have been committed by Maharashtra by violating all the environmental norms. It remains to be seen whether or not Maharashtra will keep their word of an amicable settlement.
