K'taka will begin Mahadayi project work soon, let Goa CM stop us: Shivakumar

Bengaluru, July 24 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday lashed out at Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, stating that the latter’s claim that the Centre will not grant forest clearance for the Mahadayi project is condemnable.

“We will withdraw the petition we have filed in the Supreme Court and begin the project work immediately. Let him try to stop us,” said Shivakumar while speaking to the media in the Vidhana Soudha premises, in Bengaluru.

“Goa CM seems to have lost his mental stability. He has no respect for the federal structure of the country. The tribunal has already given its verdict on the Mahadayi issue, and tenders have been called for implementing the project. During the BJP’s tenure, then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, local MPs, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had celebrated the project’s progress,” he pointed out.

Shivakumar, who also holds the irrigation portfolio, said, “I will meet all MPs from the state regarding this issue. This is a matter of our state’s self-respect. It’s a grave mistake that our MPs are remaining silent. All 28 Lok Sabha MPs and 12 Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka must fight together to uphold the state’s honour.”

He pointed out that Karnataka state cannot be sold off just because of fear of losing one MP seat in Goa, adding that BJP MPs, Union Ministers representing the state, and even the Prime Minister must be pressured on this matter.

“I will seek appointments to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister and the Prime Minister. I will attempt to take a delegation of all MPs. I believe everyone will join us,” he claimed.

When asked whether an all-party meeting would be convened, he said, “We will convene a meeting of MPs from all parties.”

On the allegation that some Union Ministers are misleading the Centre on the Mahadayi issue, Shivakumar said that the Union Jal Shakti Minister is impartial on this matter and is not playing politics.

“I have met him five to six times regarding this issue. Even the Union Forest Minister is not politicising the issue. They are supporting development works. All the problems lie with Goa.”

The people of the north Karnataka region have been demanding and agitating for the implementation of the Mahadayi project for three decades. The project would end the water crisis in the major districts of the north Karnataka region.

The Kalasa-Banduri project, which became an inter-state dispute between Karnataka and Goa majorly was primarily prepared in 1978. Then it was called the ‘Mahadayi project’. Former Chief Minister late S.R. Bommai took a special interest in implementing the project.

The project was halted as the government of Goa opposed it in 1988. Later, in 1989, S.R. Bommai held a meeting with his counterpart in Goa, Pratap Singh Rane. However, the project didn’t move as the successive governments in Goa opposed the project.

On April 30, 2002, the Central Water Resources Ministry gave approval for diverting 7.56 TMC of water from the Malaprabha River to Kalasa-Bhanduri valley. The Goa objected and demanded the formation of a tribunal. The approval by the Central Water Resources Ministry was withdrawn. In 2010, the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal was formed.

The project was opposed by Goa and Maharashtra. The total catchment of the Mahadayi basin is 2,032 square kilometres, of which the catchment of the river in Goa is about 1,580 square kilometres (78 per cent).

Karnataka has about 375 square kilometres (18 per cent) and 77 square kilometres (4 per cent) in Maharashtra.

--IANS

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