PANJIM: There is no representation to the State in the team constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to visit/inspect the construction of construction of Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme in Khanapur taluk of Karnataka, to divert Mhadei water. Goa finds no place in the team though it is the lower riparian state which will bear the brunt of damning and diversion schemes planned by Karnataka
Karnataka has proposed construction of Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme project to divert 1.72 tmc of Mhadei water as per the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) verdict announced on August 14, 2018.
The four-member team constituted by the NTCA consists of representative of Chief Wildlife Warden, Karnataka; Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, Belagavi; Dr Kausik Banerjee, scientist, Tiger Cell, NTCA, New Delhi and Harini Venugopal, AIGF, NTCA, regional office, Bengaluru.
The team is likely to visit and inspect the construction site of Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme in Khanapur taluk and also the construction of diversion weir, jackwell-cum-pump house, electrical sub-station, pipeline and power linein Kankumbhi. Karnataka’s proposal also involves diversion of 26.9255 ha of forest land out of which a total of 10,6852 ha of land falls under the tiger corridor in between Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserves.
Karnataka has further claimed that it has taken mitigation measures as suggested in the Wildlife Conservation Plan for Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme. The team will visit and conduct site appraisal and review the proposed Wildlife Conservation Plan and suggest mitigation measures and will submit its report to the NTCA of the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), New Delhi.
