Team Herald
PANJIM: The cross examination of Goa’s witness and hydrology expert Chetan Pandit will continue before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) on Tuesday, weeks after he replied to nearly 100 questions asked by the Karnataka counsel.
Sources said the witness’ cross examination will be followed by Additional Solicitor General of India Atmaram Nadkarni cross examining Karnataka’s witness in the contentious water diversion dispute.
“The counsel representing Karnataka before the tribunal will cross examine Pandit on the hydrology aspect (availability of water in Mhadei). This is the continuation of his previous cross examination. Thereafter, Nadkarni will cross examine Karnataka’s witness,” said the source.
About six month ago, Pandit had criticized the Central Water Commission data on which Karnataka is relying on, to seek diversion of water from the Mhadei basin. The tribunal had permitted Goa to submit evidence on other issues raised by this witness.
In a major relief to Goa after an anxious wait, the Prime Minister’s Office has accepted the State’s plea to allow Nadkarni to continue representing Goa before the MWDT. Earlier last month, the Union Ministry for Law and Justice had withdrawn permission to Nadkarni to represent Goa before the tribunal citing clash of interest.
The State had won its first battle on the issue when the tribunal declined Karnataka’s plea to divert 7 TMC of water from the Mhadei River. MWDT had on July 27, 2016 rejected Karnataka’s plea to divert 7 TMC of Mahdei water to the Malaprabha reservoir. Karnataka challenged the order in the Apex Court in August last, which was disposed off in January, this year. However, its main petition before the MWDT to divert 56 TMC of water from Mhadei River, filed in 2006, is still pending.
