Team Herald
PANJIM: Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA), who had spearheaded the movement against the diversion of River Mhadei more than a decade back, has slammed Goa Forward Party (GFP) for moving before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on the contentious issue, ‘without application of mind’.
He added that the petition will have an adverse impact on the entire judicial battle currently pending before the Supreme Court.
GFP had on November 4 moved before NGT against the consent letter granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to Karnataka’s Kalsa-Banduri alleged drinking water project. Ministry had said that being a pure drinking water project, Kalsa-Banduri does not attract the provisions of EIA notification 2006.
GFP in its petition had alleged that the project is an irrigation or hydro electric power project and not a drinking water project.
NGT while disposing off the petition on November 19 said, “We are unable to accept the submission. There is no basis for presumption that the project will involve hydroelectric power generation and irrigation. If it involves such activities, the project proponent will have to follow the necessary procedure. If such activities are undertaken without EIA, it will be open to the aggrieved party to take remedies in accordance with law. The application is disposed of.” GFP chief Vijai Sardesai claimed it to be a victory for the State..
“The petition was filed with a single prayer that the consent letter be withdrawn. It also alleged that it is an irrigation project but failed to establish the same. There was no application of mind while drafting the petition,” MBA convenor and renowned environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar told Herald.
He said that the petition has weakened Goa’s case before the Supreme Court, where they have challenged the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) award dated August 14, 2018 and also pointed out the possible destruction of environment and wildlife and water scarcity as a result of water diversion.
“GFP failed to put this up before NGT. Also, nowhere did the petitioner say that the matter is sub-judice and pending before the Supreme Court. Neither was it brought to the notice of the NGT that MWDT award is yet to be notified and hence there is no question of granting permission to Kalsa-Banduri project,” Kerkar said.
The green activist said that it is now a big challenge before the Goa government to prove that the project is irrigation or hydro electric power, failing which the State’s case will be weakened.
