Team Herald
PORVORIM: Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar on Friday told the House that the State government will serve notice to Karnataka for diverting the Kalsa Nallah to Malaprabha basin, before filing an Interlocutory Application (IA) in the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT).
Post the Question Hour, the Minister sought to make a correction to his reply on the Calling Attention motion moved by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and BJP MLA Rajesh Patnekar about diversion of Mhadei river water by Karnataka government which has impacted the flow of water downstream, tabled on July 25.
“IA will be filed within two days may be replaced by ‘on advice of senior advocate application will be filed after serving notices immediately to Karnataka on diversion of Khalsa nalla to Malaprabha river,” the Minister said.
In his reply on July 25, the Minister had informed the House that Karnataka had diverted the water of the Mhadei river by constructing conduits to the Malaprabha basin, which is violation of order of Water Dispute Tribunal.
The Minister informed House that a contempt application against Karnataka would be filed in next two days before the tribunal and other legal and remedial recourses will be resorted to on legal advice.
The Minister pointed out that the Tribunal in two separate orders in October 2012 and April 2014, had ordered Karnataka not to divert any waters from Kalsa Bandura to Malprabha till the award was declared.
“Tribunal had then ordered that the two conduits be blocked at chinages 990 mts and 1530 mts respectively and also constituted a team of Superintending Engineers of all the three States to oversee the construction,” he said.
