PANJIM: The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) has petitioned the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF) demanding the removal of Prof AK Gosain from the committee constituted to study the carrying capacity of the Karnataka government project across the Mhadei tributary citing conflict of interest.
In a letter to MoEF, MBA convener Rajendra Kerkar pointed out that Gosain is Karnataka’s witness before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) – which is hearing the water diversion case involving Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
“I have written to MoEF demanding that Gosain be immediately removed from the expert committee as he is a prime witness of Karnataka before the Tribunal,” Kerkar said.
The environmentalist was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of World Environment Day event organised by Factories and Boilers in association with Green Triangular Society (GTS).
Kerkar, member of the National Wildlife Board (NWB), said the issue was raised before the Tribunal during the hearing by the State government.
Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing on behalf of Goa before the Tribunal, during cross examination exposed Gosain’s affiliation to the Union Ministry’s expert team. Gosain also failed to prove his study on the quantum of water flowing in the Mhadei river during the cross examination.
For the current case, Karnataka government has two witnesses whereas Maharashtra and Goa have one each.
