BELAGAVI: Amid attempts to stall Karnataka’s desperate bid to implement the Mahadayi water project, the Supreme Court’s directions to the Centre for gazette notification of the tribunal’s interim order on Thursday has come as a major victory for Karnataka. The apex court’s directive will not only help overcome the drinking water crisis in several areas of North Karnataka but also make way for generation of power using the Mahadayi river water to be diverted to Karnataka from Goa’s Mahadai river (also called Mandovi).
The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) awarded 13.42 tmcft of water to Karnataka in its final order on August 14, 2018. The tribunal allowed Karnataka to utilise 5.5 tmcft of water from Mahadayi river for drinking water supply and another 8.02 per cent of water for hydroelectricity generation. Karnataka was involved in a long-stretched battle with neighbouring Goa for its share of 36.55 tmcft of water under the Mahadayi project, including 7.56 tmcft for drinking water purpose.
Sources said, of the 5.5 tmcft of water allotted for drinking water supply, 3.80 tmcft will be diverted to Malaprabha basin through Kalasa Nala (1.18 tmcft) and Banduri Nala (2.72 tmcft) while 1.50 tmcft is allotted for in-basin consumption in Khanapur region. The apex court’s direction for gazette notification of MWDT order has not gone down well with the Goa government and leaders there.
Taking to Twitter, Opposition leader in the Goa assembly, Digambar Kamat said, “Black Day in Goa as Goa government remains silent on Supreme Court’s decision to notify the award of the tribunal diverting water from our lifeline Mother Mahadei to Karnataka. We will now intensify people’s agitation against the insensitive Government@ INCGoa.”
Disappointed, Goa pins hopes on July 15 hearing
However, Goa Water Resources Minister Filip Nery said the top court may have directed for gazette notification of the order but the final hearing on the Mahadayi issue is fixed for July 15 and the Supreme Court would be in favour of Goa. The Goa Government has challenged the tribunal’s verdict in the Supreme Court. In a tweet, Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said, “The Honorable Supreme Court has agreed to take up the appeal filed by the state of Goa challenging the award of Mahadei Tribunal. The matter has been fixed on July 15, 2020.’’
Ever since the MWDT announced the final award on August 14, 2018, the Centre was under tremendous pressure from the Goa government and also Governor Satyapal Malik to protect the interests of the state with regard to the issue. In response to a question raised by B K Hariprasad in the Rajya Sabha recently, the Centre had even made it clear that until the petitions pending before the tribunal were cleared, it was not possible to notify the tribunal’s order in the gazette. The Centre also stated that the notification at this moment could become sub-judice. It may be noted that clarificatory applications have been filed by Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka (three stakeholders of Mahadayi project) in the MWDT on some paras in the final judgment.
The Centre had virtually rallied behind Goa after the Chief Minister took a delegation late last year to exert pressure. Even as Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, wrote to Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai to start work on the Kalasa-Banduri Project (part of Mahadai project) on December 24, 2019, the Centre changed its stand during the recent Parliament session stating that it was not possible to notify the MWDT order until the cases pending before the tribunal are disposed of.
Union Minister of State for Railways, Suresh Angadi told TNIE that it was a good sign to note that both Goa and Maharashtra states remained silent at this juncture. “It is good to see the coordination between all the three stakeholder states with regard to Mahadayi issue. It has been the Prime Minister’s vision to ensure clean drinking water to everyone in the country and today’s development is another step in that direction.’’
Activist Ashok Chandargi said Karnataka state may not have been benefitted hugely by the gazette notification of the tribunal order, but the MPs of Karnataka should exert pressure on the Centre for an out-of-court settlement of the Mahadayi issue before the hearing on the petitions filed by Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra before the Supreme Court begins in July.
Decades of efforts by governments and leaders of Karnataka to divert water from Mahadayi for drinking and power cogeneration have finally borne fruit. The Karnataka government has almost completed work on the Kalasa Nala project in Kankumbi on the Goa border, but is yet to start work on the Banduri Nala project. It is now up to the Water Resources Department, headed by Ramesh Jarkiholi, to get the necessary wildlife and environment clearances from the Centre to resume work on the project.