TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the appointment of DHI (India) Water and Environment Pvt Ltd to carry out a bio-diversity study of the Mhadei River to ascertain endemic species and aquatic ecology.
“The diversion of the waters of Mhadei would result in very serious repercussions, and endanger the flora and fauna of the Western Ghats and wild life sanctuaries as well as have serious effects on drinking water,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said.
Parrikar stressed that ‘Karnataka government has clarified that it will not only not stop the diversion of water from Kalsa-Bandura nullah but had also envisaged eight to 10 more such diversion project to divert the water from Goa’s rivers.’
“This would result in various costs to the state such as ecological and environmental costs,” Parrikar said adding that the State will have to submit a detailed report on environment and other impacts, which the State would suffer, to the tribunal before its next hearing, scheduled in December.
Accordingly, the government had appointed DHI who would be paid Rs 1.34 crore for the study. The agency will also study the effect on climatic change and sea level rise on river flow, conduct rainfall-runoff and river modeling and estuarine modeling of Mandovi and Zuari estuaries. DHI is doing similar studies for various States such as Maharashtra as well as in foreign countries.
Karnataka government is constructing a canal at Kalsa-Bhandura to divert Haltar rivulet of Mhadei River to Malprabha River in Kankumbi. The Karnataka presently plans to divert only 7.5 TMC water via Kalsa canal, but has more plans to divert rest of the water that may result in the drying up the whole river Mandovi.
Goa covers 1580 sq kms of the catchment area of Mhadei basin while Karnataka covers only 375 sq kms. It also includes 76 sq kms of catchment area in Maharashtra.
