Team Herald
PANJIM: Rejecting suggestions that Goa had lost dearly in the Mhadei fight against Karnataka, Goa’s witness at the tribunal, Chetan Pandit, said the diversion allowed from the basin to the neighbouring State is negligible.
Stating that the yield at the Mhadei basin is around 188.06 tmc, worked out by MWDT, Pandit said that only 5.4 tmc has been allowed to be diverted to Karnataka besides 1.33 tmc in-basin use to Maharashtra. “Still around 181 tmc water will continue to flow from the Mhadei basin,” he said adding, “The diversion is just negligible.”
Substantiating his claim, Pandit said that there have been many occasions when there has been at least 70 percent less water in the Mhadei basin. “From 1976-77 for about eight years there was just around 110 tmc water, which was a natural phenomenon and I don’t think Goa was affected at that time,” he said, replying to queries on what could be effect of diversion of water on Goa.
WRD Minister Vinod Palyekar also reiterated that the verdict has been a big win for Goa and there was no need for the State to approach the Supreme Court for revision. “We have got the best possible order as only 3.9 tmc from 188 tmc of Mhadei basin would be diverted, rest all will flow down to Goa,” he said.
WRD Chief Engineer Sandeep Nadkarni said that the even the 3.9 tmc which has been awarded to Karnataka they will have to comply with lot of condition. “They will have to get Environment Impact Assessment, ECs, statutory permissions, forest clearance, wildlife clearances upon which the Centre will decide whether to grant permissions or not,” Nadkarni said.
The engineer also said that Karnataka attempted to divert the Dudhsagar water too, which was also rejected by the tribunal.
