BELAGAVI: While raising serious objections to the obstacles being put by the Goa Government for the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project, the Karnataka Government appealed to the Centre to grant the needed approval for the launch of the project, without any delay, and said the Supreme Court has not issued a stay on it.
The issue of diversion of water under the Kalasa-Banduri project at Kankumbi was discussed at the 80th standing committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW) in New Delhi on October 9.
A major agenda at the meeting was a proposal submitted by the Karnataka Government for use of 10.68 hectares of forest land from the tiger corridor between Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserves for construction of diversion weir, jack well-cum-pumphouse, electrical substation, pipeline and powerline in Kanakumbi and other adjoining villages for construction of Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme in Khanapur taluk.
On hearing Karnataka’s request, the NBW standing committee directed the state’s representatives to submit all the relevant documents of the project status and said it would take a decision soon.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forest N Manjunath Prasad said the project would help supply drinking water to lakhs of people in North Karnataka.
“Already, nine months have passed since the expert committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved the project. Considering all such developments, the Centre should immediately grant forest and wildlife permission for its launch,’’ he said.
He added that the Forest Ministry had asked the Karnataka Government to get the NBW’s approval, as about 10.68 hectares under the project falls in the Tiger corridor.
And in this connection, the state government had submitted a proposal to NBW, following which the NTCA expert committee visited the project site, said Manjunath, adding that the NTCA report is yet to be submitted to the NBW.
Officials reminded the committee that the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) gave an award, allotting the share of the river water to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, the three stakeholders of the project, in 2018 itself, and subsequently, the Supreme Court stated in 2020 that the Central Water Commission could approve the revised project report of the Kalasa-Banduri project.
In December 2022, the Central Water Commission gave its approval to the project, officials said, adding that later, the state government submitted a proposal to demand forest approval to the Centre under the Forest Protection Act.
There was absolutely no problem for any of the Central authorities to give their nod to the project, the officials said, reminding that in the meanwhile, the Principal Conservator of Forest, Goa, had issued a show-cause notice to the MD of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, that without the permission of the Goa Government, the Karnataka Government should not take up the project.
Later, Karnataka had filed a petition with the Supreme Court, contending that Goa had no powers to issue such notices and that it should be suspended.
‘CONFIDENT KALASA-BANDURI PROJECT WILL CLEAR ALL HURDLES’
BENGALURU:Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Thursday expressed confidence that the National Board for Wildlife will give its nod to the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project. The board held a meeting in Delhi on October 9, Khandre said, adding that Union Forest Ministers and top ministry officials were present.
The meeting was proceeding in the positive direction, he said, adding that the Goa government had contested the diversion of the rivers and tributaries for the project. But the Mahadayi River Water Disputes Tribunal in August 2018 had given permission to divert 3.9 tmcft for the project, and the same was conveyed to the Union Government at the meeting, he said.
