Goa delegation heads to Delhi to dam public discontent on Mhadei

PANJIM: Taken aback by a massive public protest and the possibility of public discontent on the Mhadei sell-out to Karnataka, a Goa’s delegation is heading to Delhi for damage control

The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led delegation will call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday seeking his immediate intervention to withdraw the permission granted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka for Kalasa-Bandura project.

The delegation will include Union Minister for State for Tourism Shripad Naik, Member of Parliament Vinay Tendulkar, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar, and Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, the Goa government has decided to file an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the CWC approval to Karnataka. The State has already issued a show cause notice to the Karnataka government for violation of the Wildlife Protection Act through the proposed drinking water project, which will lead to diversion or stoppage of water flow from the Kalasa tributary to Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the Goa government will file an application before the Supreme Court challenging the DPR approval granted to Karnataka’s Kalasa-Bandura project.

He said that the application would be filed as a part of the ongoing case before the Supreme Court in which Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have challenged the award given by Inter-State Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal. He said that the Centre has violated the Supreme Court order.

The Chief Minister on Monday late evening held a meeting with WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar, Advocate General Devidas Pangam, and the members of Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan to decide the future course of action.

In a tweet released after the meeting, Sawant said that the Chief Wild Warden has issued a stop-work notice to the Karnataka government which is another step in the right direction.

Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) the NGO fighting for Goa’s rights on the Mhadei was present for the meeting too. Its president Nirmala Sawant as well as environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar were also there for the meeting held by the Chief Minister.