Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu on Monday informed MP Luizinho Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the Karnataka has been found technically acceptable by the Central Water Commission (CWC) from hydrology and inter-State aspects only, subject to strict compliance of certain conditions.
In a written reply, the Minister said that as per the sub-clause (A) of Clause VIII and IX of Award and final decision of Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) as notified on February 27, 2020, Karnataka is permitted to divert 2.18 TMC (61.8 MCM) of Mhadei water at proposed Bandura dam and 1.72 TMC (48.7 MCM) at proposed Kalasa dam only, subject to fulfilling the certain directions.
The Union cabinet has accorded approval or the constitution of the authority namely “Mahadayi PRAWAH” under the provisions of Section 6A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 for securing compliance and implementation of the decisions of the MWDT, the Minister informed Faleiro.
Faleiro wanted to know whether the Union government was aware of further attempts to divert the Mhadei water in Karnataka and the action the government has taken to stop the diversion of water from Mhadei basin to Malaprabha basin, He also sought to know whether the government has approved the DPR of the Karnataka State.
The Minister said that the States of Karnataka and Maharashtra have informed that no water is diverted from the Mhadei river basin.
To Faleiro’s another question whether the government is aware of its repercussions on the six talukas in Goa and on the five Wildlife Sanctuaries dependent on the Mhadei river, the Minister said that the utilisation permitted by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal for all three basin States is after taking into consideration the environmental flow in accordance with “Standard Terms of Reference for Environmental Impact Assessment or Environmental Management Plan Report for Projects or Activities Requiring Environmental Clearance under EIA Notification 2006” of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published in April 2015.
