TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Retired Central service officer Chetan Pandit has been appointed technical consultant by Goa government to assist it in the Mhadei River water dispute between Goa and Karnataka.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced the approval of the senior expert’s appointment at a press conference following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Pandit is a former member of central water commission.
“He (Pandit) is highly qualified… He will study various aspects on the matter and prepare a report. The appointment will help to fight State’s case against diversion of Mhadei by Karnataka which is continuing with illegally constructing dams despite a stay order by the Court,” Parrikar said referring to construction of a canal on Kalsa- Bhandura tributary.
He informed that an expert was needed for this ‘urgent matter’, since Karnataka was conspiring to divert the Mhadei water to its state in the guise that it is for drinking purpose.
The chief minister alleged that though the adjoining state has four rivers to divert for drinking purpose, it is eyeing Mhadei River like a “small child”. “This is a conspiracy to divert Mhadei water to its state (Karnataka). The study by Pandit will expose them and strengthen our stand against the diversion,” he said.
The study will also reveal how damming of water will affect the bio-diversity of the state located downstream and point out through water flow parameter study, how the salinity of rivers will increase due to diversion of water.
During the December 2013 Justice J M Panchal expert panel’s visit to Goa, local residents, environmentalists and other stakes holders had presented a memorandum opining that there was no scope for diverting water to Karnataka considering Goa’s water needs and the damage it would cause to the biodiversity. The environmentalists had also pointed out that Kalsa- Bhandura project will damage the fragile wildlife in the vicinity.
