PANJIM: Chandrakant Shinde, president of Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade, Keri, Sattari, delivered a lecture on Damming and Diversion of Mhadei River, organised by the D D Kosambi School of Social Sciences and Behavioural Studies Political Science Programme at the seminar hall, Faculty Block B of Goa University.
Shinde was speaking as a part of his lecture series “The Last Call of River Mhadei”, to create awareness among the political parties, youth and local community of Goa for withstanding unanimously for safeguarding interest and well-being of Goa in all inter-State riverine issues for the present and posterity.
River Mhadei also known as Mandovi is the lifeline of our land and people and in this matter, he urged the authorities to take all the possible steps for restraining Karnataka from marching ahead and materialising, the proposals of damming and diversion of the Mhadei and its tributaries, having serious ecological and socio-cultural implications.
Shinde said that Goa must involve the best legal luminaries having in-depth knowledge of the environment and wildlife related rules and regulations. A strategy should be planned for protecting the long-term interests of Goa State before the Supreme Court and the Central government.
Shinde further said, “Tiger Reserve might possibly save Mhadei from diversion as the stringent wildlife laws in the country will restrain the Centre from giving wildlife clearances for construction of dams. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary has 208 square kms area and Tiger Reserve might be declared keeping aside villages and their plantation/crop areas.”
“We must initiate a strong public movement by involving the like-minded people from Goa to empower the State government to undertake necessary steps for providing appropriate scientific approach and providing concrete evidences with reference to the pleadings made by Goa in the Mhadei matters before the Supreme Court and also before the Inter-State Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal,” Shinde said.
The session was chaired by Dr Prakash Paryekar, associate professor of Konkani and Vice Dean (Research) of Shenoi Goembab School of Languages and Literature, Goa University.
