PANJIM: Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the Mhadei PRAWAH or Mhadei Water Management Authority constituted by the Centre will be beneficial for the State as the Authority will be in complete command and control of waters in River Mhadei basin.
Pangam said that the State government had urged the Centre to constitute the Mhadei Management Authority as recommended by the Inter-State Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal. The Authority can visit the site and inspect whether Karnataka is carrying out any works in River Mhadei basin, illegally.
Pangam said that since 2014, the Karnataka had been carrying out illegal works in River Mhadei basin to divert Mhadei waters and it was becoming difficult for the State officials to visit the site for inspection whenever it received information about the illegal works carried out by the neighbouring State. The Authority will have the powers to visit the site for inspections as it will be an independent and impartial body, which will also decide the allocation of water by the three States as per the Tribunal’s award.
The Mhadei PRAWAH will consist of six members, three from the Government of India and one each from Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
He said that the State government had demanded that the headquarters of the Authority be established in Goa since it has to be in the River Mhadei basin such as the Damodar Valley Authority, whose headquarters are established in Kolkata, West Bengal.
“The headquarters of the Mhadei Authority cannot be set up in Delhi as it would be impractical for the officials and therefore reasonably, technically and legally it has to be established in Goa,” said Pangam.
