PANJIM: Even as the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has made an attempt to clear the air on the Mhadei issue, the Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai has questioned the CM as to why the State did not oppose the Karnataka plea in the Supreme Court.
“The case chronology and Goa’s arguments are well known. What is not known is why the Senior Counsel for the State of #Goa didn’t oppose the prayer of Karnataka to notify the award of 14-8-2018 which has set in motion the disaster to follow for Goa! Why is @goacm not throwing light on this?” Sardesai tweeted Sunday morning.
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On Saturday the chief minister said that they have prayed for restraining the neighbouring State from carrying out construction at the site, Karnataka government should not approach any authority and/or Centre for permission for the activity and direct a joint inspection by Chief Engineer (CWC) or by assessor of Tribunal to ascertain ground realities.
“It is against the established practice that inter-basin diversion can be done only with concurrence of all party States. Mhadei basin is a water deficit basin as per the Mandovi Master Plan 1999 prepared by panel of experts as the projected requirements are more,” he said.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Thursday notified the Mhadei Tribunal award as per the SC order on Karnataka’s plea which was not opposed by Goa.
As against Karnataka’s claim that 188 TMC is the yield of Mhadei, Goa refers to 113.5 TMC as the remaining water is saline.
“All the water cannot be used because it is saline. Actually 113.5 is the total yield of Mhadei and the remaining is saline. We need Mhadei for six water treatment plants else it will run dry,” it has been said. Karnataka, in its submissions before the judiciary over the matter, also agreed in principle that some water of Mhadei is saline.
