Team Herald
PANJIM: Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar on Friday rued that the Central government had been slightly partial towards the Karnataka and the decision to grant its approval to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to divert Mhadei waters is one-sided.
“This is total injustice to Goa and Centre should have consulted Goa before taking such one-sided decision”, he told reporters.
Shirodkar said that the Goa government will immediately file its fourth contempt petition before the Supreme Court, against the Centre’s decision to approve DPR submitted by the Karnataka government.
“We have full faith in the Supreme Court of India and we are confident that we will get justice from the Court”, he said.
Shirodkar added that Goa has always presented a strong case before the authorities and we are going to fight it out.
Stating that the Centre has set a bad precedent by approving the DPR unilaterally, he opined that the Union government should have convened a meeting of three riparian States ie Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. “We will seek Prime Minister’s intervention,” he said.
Shirodkar said that he and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will soon meet Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and appeal to them to withdraw the approval granted to Karnataka. He said that Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral will also write to the Centre stating that the decision to approve Karnataka DPR would cause immense damage to wildlife and ecology.
To a question, Shirodkar said that the State government had written to Karnataka government seeking inspection at the site following reports that Karnataka had started work to divert Mhadei water. But there was no response from Karnataka, he said. He also added that he will also discuss with Goa’s counsels so as to expedite the matter in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has convened a special meeting of the State Cabinet on Monday, January 2, to exclusively discuss Mhadei river issue.
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CM, WRD Minister to meet PM
With the Central Water Commission (CWC) approving Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report on Mhadei River’s Kalasa-Bhandura project, the Goa government has decided to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his immediate intervention to revoke the approval.
Addressing media persons on Friday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that he will call on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to immediately intervene and revoke the approval.
“I along with our WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar will personally meet Prime Minister and Union Jal Shakti Minister and apprise them about the ground reality. We will explain how the project will have impact on our natural resources, Mhadei wildlife, flora and fauna,” he said.
Sawant said that despite the approval of DPR, Karnataka cannot divert water of Mhadei River because under the Wild Life Protection Act 1972, no water from Kalasa Rivulet can be diverted in any manner.
He said that DPR has been cleared subject to approval under Environmental Act and Forest Act. “Karnataka cannot just go and start construction. We will make sure that the DPR approval is revoked and no other permission is granted,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that State would insist upon Centre to immediately constitute the Mhadei Water Management Authority, which would ensure that no water from Kalasa Rivulet is diverted illegally. He said that the Authority will have members from Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Center and will monitor and inspect the site.
“We shall fight to the hilt for each drop of Mhadei water. We have not lost the battle. We will not compromise on the issue at any cost. Government is fully committed and dedicated to the cause of the Mhadei Basin and the people of Goa,” he said.
