PANJIM: The Goa government
on Wednesday objected to Karnataka’s demand for diversion of 7 thousand million
cubic (TMC) feet of water from the Mhadei River as interim relief before the
Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT). The tribunal has granted Goa and
Maharashtra four weeks to submit their reply on Karnataka’s demand.
After a month’s gap, the
final hearing on the Mhadei water sharing dispute commenced before the Tribunal
on Wednesday morning, wherein Karnataka filed an Interlocutory Application (IA)
seeking release of 7TMC of water as interim relief.
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However, State Advocate
General Atmaram Nadkarni objected to the application, seeking time to submit
its reply. “The tribunal has granted four weeks time to Goa and Maharashtra to
submit their reply on the application,” he said adding that the hearing on the
application would be now held on July 12. Karnataka sought a hearing in May or
June, but this which was turned down by the tribunal.
Meanwhile, Head and
IIT Mumbai Prof Dr Jyoti Prakash on Wednesday deposed before the tribunal,
clarifying that the river basin is not surplus. “He has remained firm in his
stand that Mhadei is a deficit basin,” the AG said. The hearing will continue on
Thursday with cross examination of the witness to continue. Consultant Chetan
Pandit will depose before the tribunal as witness after that.
Karnataka wants to build
barrages across the Kalasa-Banduri tributaries of the Mhadei river to divert
7.6 TMC of water for supplying drinking water to four districts – Gadag, Hubballi-Dharwad,
Belagavi and Bagalkote – through the Malaprbaha river.
