Team Herald
PANJIM: Even as Goa is fighting a legal battle with Karnataka to prevent diversion of Mhadei water, Maharashtra has given another blow to the State by attempting to construct the Virdi dam to divert water to the Tillari river basin.
Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) secretary and environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said that the neighbouring Maharashtra from Saturday resumed their plans to construct a dam at Virdi near Dodamarg bordering Goa. He said Maharashtra has recommenced work on war footing towards construction of the Kattika nullah dam at Virdi.
Kerkar said that the construction work is underway without obtaining Environmental Clearances (EC) and other statutory clearances. He said that the work of building Virdi dam was stopped around seven years ago after the State government filed a complaint before the Inter-State Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, strongly opposing the ongoing work.
Kerkar said that during the visit, Tribunal’s Member Justice Viney Mittal had asked the Maharashtra Chief Secretary whether the State had obtained the required EC from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and not to go ahead with the dam construction work till al permissions are obtained.
Kerkar said that Maharashtra had started constructing dam in 2006 and it was stopped after Goa vehemently opposed it before the Tribunal. The matter of water sharing with neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka is also pending in Supreme Court as all riparian States have filed their special leave petitions.
Meanwhile, the opposition has condemned the move of Maharashtra government to go ahead with the dam construction work and asked the State government to take immediate steps to stop the ongoing works.
Reacting to the commencement of Virdi dam work by Maharashtra, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said, “Now fourth engine gets activated in Maharashtra with reports of commencement of Virdi dam work. Lethargic and compromised attitude of BJP government has resulted in murder of our lifeline Mother Mhadei. I urge Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to act now and stop the work.”
Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and MLA Vijai Sardesai tweeted, “Double engine. Double assault on #Mhadei. After #Karnataka, it is now #Maharashtra’s turn. The construction works of Virdi dam at #Dodamarg clearly points to another criminal betrayal by @DrPramodPSawant and @BJP4Goa! Thanks to them, #Goa’s interests are trampled again and again!
