Team Herald
PANJIM: The House Committee constituted to study issues related to River Mhadei will hold its first preliminary meeting in PAC Room of Goa Assembly Complex, Porvorim, on February 8 at 3:30 pm.
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The 12-member House Committee under the chairmanship of Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar and comprising ruling and opposition MLAs as members was constituted on January 19 after lengthy discussion on the issue of diverting Mhadei waters by Karnataka.
The meeting assumes significance on the backdrop of recent statement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Belagavi where he stated that the Centre has permitted diversion of Mhadei waters to quench the thirst of Karnataka farmers by taking the Goa government into confidence.
The statement evoked sharp protests from the opposition and environmentalists, who have been demanding that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should come clear on the issue and ensure that the approval granted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR) for Kalasa-Bandura dam project is withdrawn.
The opposition has accused the govt of for conniving with the Centre to divert Mhadei water instead taking all steps to save the river, which is Goa’s lifeline.
The Goa delegation, which had met Union Home Minister at Delhi on January 11 had urged him to constitute the Mhadei Water Management Authority with representatives of the three riparian States and Union government as its members.
Goa and Karnataka are locked in a battle for the last more than three decades over sharing of water from Mhadei river. The Goa government has vehemently opposed Karnataka’s plans to divert waters from deficit Mhadei basin to surplus Malaprabha basin.
