BELAGAVI: The Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has asked the State Government to submit fresh proposals for diversion of forest land to take up the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project on the Goa border.In a letter to the state’s Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department, the DIG of Forests, the MoEF said Karnataka’s proposals to divert 258 hectares of forest land for the Kalasa Nala dam and 243 hectares for the Bandura Nala dam were returned in 2003 pending resolution of the dispute between Karnataka and Goa. Presently, there is no proposal pertaining to the Kalasa-Banduri project pending for consideration in the ministry, the letter adds.
Amid the State Government’s ongoing attempts to get a green signal for the project, the MoEF appealed to the State Government to submit a proposal on the Parivesh portal in the light of provisions contained in the Forest (Conservation) Second Amendment Rules, 2014 and changes in field conditions.Commenting on the development, senior advocate M B Zirli, who was part of the state’s legal team that took up the case before the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal, said, “The state needs to draw up fresh DPR based on the final award given by Mahadayi Water Dispte Tribunal (MWDT) in August, 2018.
The nature of Kalasa-Banduri project and the size of dams proposed may have lots of changes now. Based on the present shape of the project, the Centre might have asked for the fresh proposals for allotment of forest land.’’Activist Ashok Chandargi said the State Government should also pressure the Centre to implement the tribunal’s final award so as to draw its share of water through Kalasa nala from Mahadayi river.