Team Herald
PORVORIM: Water Resources Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues on Thursday informed members in the Legislative Assembly that the government will soon constitute a special cell headed by an experienced officer from the department, to keep a close watch on the Karnataka’s moves of damming and diverting the Mhadei river water and its tributaries thereby posing a threat to the interest of the State.
Replying to the discussion on demands for grants for water resources for the financial year 2021-2022, Rodrigues said that the government will also appoint on priority scientists from reputed institutions and a team of experts to study the salinity of River Mhadei in detail and other parameters of ecology of the area and the environmental flow in order to protect the interest of the State.
The WRD Minister assured the House that the government will take all necessary steps to protect and conserve the catchment of the river and its tributaries legally, on priority basis.
The Minister reiterated that currently no work is undergoing at the Kalsa-Bandhura project, proposed by the Karnataka government.
The opposition members who had tabled cut-motions said that River Mahdei is Goa’s lifeline and the government should foil Karnataka’s attempts to divert water to the Malaprabha basin. Later, the demands for grants were passed by voice vote after defeating the cut-motions.
