Goa appears helpless on Mhade diversion canals by Karnataka
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 03 December 2012 20:49 IST
Goa government appears helpless in dealing firmly with Karnataka government in stopping the ongoing work on canals at Kalsa-Bhandura to divert Mhadei water, except complaining to Mhadei water tribunal.
The next hearing is scheduled on 10 December.
Goa’s water resources minister Dayanand Mandrekar says the government would bring it to the notice of the tribunal the work Karnataka has started once again on the canals.
Karnataka had assured the Mhadei tribunal that it would stop the ongoing work on the canals.
The canals are being built to divert the Mhadei river water to Malprabha river.
“Can we go and fight physically with them? What else can we do than complaining to the tribunal”, asked Mandrekar.
North Goa MP Shripad Naik, belonging to the ruling BJP in Goa, however plans to take another step.
“I will take a delegation to the President of India and the prime minister shortly”, he said.
However, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar is presently on a Gujarat tour to campaign for the party in Assembly election there.
“We will take the delegation as soon as the CM returns”, says Naik.
Looks like Karnataka will complete the canals saying they are not going to divert the water of Mhadei and then all of a sudden they will divert the water. Otherwise, why they should be spending on digging canals.
With BJP governments in Karnataka and Goa, it should have been easy to settle this issue.
As I have said earlier on this subject, Karnataka cannot be trusted when they say they will not divert the water.
If the water is diverted, one cannot imagine what will happen to river Mandovi and Goa.
Topmost priority should be given to this lifeline of water by the government.
i have represented goa govt in the matter at the inital stages and rather successfully. recently supreme court directed cm of karnataka and tamil nadu to meet and resolve cavery issue and they are meeting. When karnataka and goa are both bjp govt why cant they meet and solve the issue if jailalita can meet karnataka cm.