Serious on Mhadei, says CM citing pleas in SC

Team Herald

PORVORIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Wednesday informed the House that the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the State government challenging the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) Award on river water diversion has been listed for hearing before the Supreme Court on September 8. Sawant also said that two different Contempt Petitions filed in 2020 and 2021, against Karnataka for illegal diversion of Mhadei River water to Malaprabha basin are also listed for hearing on August 2 and September 8, respectively.

As the Opposition continued to grill the government over its failure to handle the Mhadei River water diversion issue, the Chief Minister said the State has submitted an independent report on the diversion by Karnataka to the Supreme Court. He also said that three preliminary salinity reports are also placed before the Apex Court. 

“Government is very serious on the issue. We should have put in a united fight,” Sawant maintained on the floor of the House, even as Opposition benches pointed out to the delay of nine months to file the SLP before the Apex Court and also the government’s failure to act against Karnataka’s illegalities. 

Goa Forward Party (GFP) MLA Vijai Sardesai and Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte took on the government on the contentious issue while seeking to know why the government had failed to convince the Supreme Court to take up SLP on priority. 

“While the matter is pending before the Supreme Court as State seeks for physical hearing, the diversion of River Mhadei continues,” Khaunte charged. He questioned the total quantity of water diverted so far. 

Water Resources Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues said the government admits illegal diversion of Mhadei water by Karnataka State and accordingly has filed two contempt petitions. “However, since, the diversion is in Karnataka jurisdiction, we are unable to quantify the same,” he said. 

Rodrigues said that State is examining legally what kind of mechanism is to be adopted to quantify the diversion done by Karnataka, since it is in their territory. “More quantity flows now, during the rains, because of the natural flow. During the lean season, there is not much diversion,” he said. 

Rodrigues also said he would not be able to reveal the State government’s strategy or table data related to the ongoing river dispute because Karnataka was watching the proceedings of the House and that ‘certain facts’ could not be stated openly. “We can’t reveal some decisions here because Karnataka is watching the debate,” the minister added. 

The minister said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court had not listed the matters for the hearing for last one year.