MARGAO: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has said that the State will insist to the Supreme Court for directions in Mhadei river water dispute only after joint inspection of the Kalasa Banduri project.
The Chief Minister said, “The WRD Minister has informed earlier that we are asking the Supreme Court for joint inspection of Kalasa Banduri project. We are also praying for directions of the Honourable Apex Court only after the joint inspection is held including all stakeholders.”
He further informed that unless and until the joint inspection is done, Government will pray not to give further directions to anybody in the matter.
The Chief Minister has informed that the State will be filing the above prayer with the Supreme Court soon.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has said that the earlier intimation given to Karnataka over clearances given to Kalasa-Banduri has been put on hold.
The ministry said that the facts, subsequently made available pointed towards the award of the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) of 2018 filed by the Governments of Goa and Karnataka are still pending.
Goa Congress have had held protests in Delhi against the decision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party to give environmental clearances for the controversial project in Karnataka.
The project proposes to divert water Mhadei river from Khalsa and Banduri canals into the Malaprabha river
