Mahadayi River dispute: BJP ruled Karnataka, Goa at loggerheads

Even as the Goa government has been raising objections over the project, Karnataka Water Resources Minister Govind Kajrol reportedly said that tenders would be floated to construct the Kalasa-Banduri project

Hyderabad: The BJP ruled States of Karnataka and Goa are at loggerheads over a water diversion project on River Mahadayi, reflecting the “true” side of the double engine governance boasted by the saffron party.

Leaders from both the States are engaged in verbal duels ever since the Karnataka government announced its decision to go ahead with the project.

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Even as the Goa government has been raising objections over the project, Karnataka Water Resources Minister Govind Kajrol reportedly said that tenders would be floated to construct the Kalasa-Banduri project.

Citing the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal award, the Minister had further said that Karnataka does not require permission from Goa to use the water. The tribunal had allocated 13.42 tmcft water of the River Mahadayi to Karnataka, he said at a programme.

This was after Goa Chief Minister had decided to send an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lodge their protest over the approval given by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to the project.

River Mahadayi originates inside the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Belagavi district of Karnataka and flows into the Arabian Sea in Goa.

The Karnataka government aims to take up the Kalasa Banduri Nala project to divert water from River Mahadayi to meet the drinking water needs of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Gadag districts. This project was initially proposed in 1980’s but was kept on hold due to objections raised by the Goa Government.

Challenging the Tribunal award in 2018, Goa Government had filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court in 2019, challenging the quantum of allocation.

Despite the case in Supreme Court, the CWC reportedly gave its nod to the Karnataka Government’s proposed project. The CWC’s decision is being crticised by the State Congress party, saying it was announced as elections were due in Karnataka.

While, the BJP-led union government has been delaying Telangana’s appeal to address the River Krishna water sharing dispute since last eight years, it had accorded approval to Karnataka’s project.