PANJIM: Save Mhadei Save Goa Front on Wednesday said that the mere admission of Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by State government in the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the decision of the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) granting Karnataka 13.42 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of water for its Kalasa-Bhandura drinking water-cum-irrigation project is not a victory for Goa, but a time buying tactic.
The Front urged the BJP-led State government to push for withdrawal of Karnataka’s revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) that has already been approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
“It is only a time buying tactic. It’s a fact that SPL has been admitted and we are happy about it. But this SLP has been converted into an appeal and it will prolong, it will take years and we don’t know when it will come up (for hearing in SC). This is not a victory for us. We should continue our fight to save our mother River Mhadei. The Goa government has not pursued contempt petition and Interlocutory application,” historian and heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande said.
Adv Hrudaynath Shirodkar, an activist said that Goa government and its legal team has failed in its duty to present before the top court that Karnataka government committed contempt of the judgment passed in 2017 and continues to divert the flow of river Mhadei which will have catastrophic impact on Goa.
“We have been demanding the Goa government to challenge the Karnataka’s DPR approved by the CWC but till date nothing has been done. The State unit of the BJP had resolved to urge the Central government to withdraw approval given to DPR, we want to know where that resolution has reached and what steps BJP is taking at the State and Central levels,” he said.
Shirodkar on behalf of Save Mhadei Save Goa Front supported the demand of a section of activists to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve adding that it will be one step towards protecting Goa’s interests in Mhadei matter.
He further informed that the front will launch a month long ‘Mhadei Jal Yatra’ from August 15 to September 15, where they will visit villages across Goa to create awareness on protection and preservation of natural water bodies.
