PANJIM: The red-faced Karnataka witness, former chairman of Central Water Commission (CWC) AK Bajaj, on Monday tendered an apology before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) for giving contradictory statements in the Mhadei water diversion matter.
During cross-examination that resumed on Monday, Bajaj was extensively grilled as to the correctness of the CWC report and his attention was drawn to various discrepancies therein to which he did not give any satisfactory answers. Goa was represented by Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni conducted the cross-examination.
Bajaj was asked as to why he had restricted his study to part of the Malaprabha basin and Kali basin and not to the entire Mhadei basin. He said that since the dam covered only a part of the basin, the study did not extend to the entire basin of either Malaprabha or Kali basin.
He was confronted with the fact that while preparing the 2016 report he did not peruse the thiessen polygon annexed to CWC 2003 report to which he began giving unsatisfactory answer but upon the tribunal telling him they would record that he is giving contradictory answers, he agreed that he had not seen the thiessen polygon while preparing the report.
Bajaj was thereafter asked whether he had considered the report submitted by one Sajjan to the Karnataka government for using the waters of Bennihalla Nalla, and he said the report is only with respect to flood control.
However, Nadkarni brought to the notice of the Tribunal that the report does not only deals with flood control but also deals with utilisation of the water from Bennihalla nalla. To this, Bajaj stated that the water can also be used after conducting techno economic feasibility for diversion.
