Karnataka government to approach SC over Mahadayi project
Karnataka and Goa are locked in a political and legal tussle over the sharing of Mahadayi river, known as the Mandovi in Goa
The Karnataka government has decided to convene an all-party meeting and also take a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) deferring the decision on transfer of forest land for the Mahadayi water project to the state.
The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting on Thursday. Briefing the media after the meeting, law minister HK Patil said the law ministry has been advised to consider filing a petition in the Supreme Court.
The minister read out the minutes of the 79th meeting of the Central government’s NBWL. “The National Tiger Conservation Authority had sent a team of experts for a fact-finding study of the Mahadayi project area. This committee made several recommendations. A response was sought from the Tiger Conservation Authority.”
“The Wildlife Board informed that no response was given so far, as it is subjugated. Additional Chief Secretary of the forest department said this is a scheme of the Karnataka government, and the Goa government has filed a case in the Supreme Court. After discussion, the board decided to postpone the matter to the next meeting,” it said.
In a meeting presided over by Union minister for forests, environment, and climate change Bhupender Yadav, the NBWL declined to grant wildlife clearance for the Kalasa Nala Diversion Project, citing ongoing legal challenges by the Goa government in the Supreme Court pertaining to the Mahadayi project.
{{/usCountry}}In a meeting presided over by Union minister for forests, environment, and climate change Bhupender Yadav, the NBWL declined to grant wildlife clearance for the Kalasa Nala Diversion Project, citing ongoing legal challenges by the Goa government in the Supreme Court pertaining to the Mahadayi project.
{{/usCountry}}The wildlife board, however, approved the Goa-Tamnar 400 KV electricity line project. The board has given conditional approval to the proposal to use 435 acres of forest land in Karnataka for the power line, Patil pointed out.
{{/usCountry}}The wildlife board, however, approved the Goa-Tamnar 400 KV electricity line project. The board has given conditional approval to the proposal to use 435 acres of forest land in Karnataka for the power line, Patil pointed out.
{{/usCountry}}Karnataka and Goa are locked in a political and legal tussle over the sharing of Mahadayi river, known as the Mandovi in Goa. The river descends from the Sahyadri range of mountains in Karnataka, travels 111 km westward including 76 km through Goa before entering into the sea. The Kalasa and Banduri are the upstream tributaries of Mahadayi that flow into the Malaprabha river in Karnataka before joining river Krishna.
{{/usCountry}}Karnataka and Goa are locked in a political and legal tussle over the sharing of Mahadayi river, known as the Mandovi in Goa. The river descends from the Sahyadri range of mountains in Karnataka, travels 111 km westward including 76 km through Goa before entering into the sea. The Kalasa and Banduri are the upstream tributaries of Mahadayi that flow into the Malaprabha river in Karnataka before joining river Krishna.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials familiar with the matter, Karnataka wants 7.56 tmcft of Mahadayi water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, which would provide drinking water to the parched northern districts which have been facing continuous drought. In October 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka tried to have negotiations between the two states eyeing the votes in Mumbai Karnataka (now Kittur Karnataka).
In the 2023 assembly manifesto, the BJP promised to complete all pending irrigation projects like the Upper Bhadra, Upper Krishna and Kalasa Banduri projects in a time bound manner. The opposition Congress, which released its manifesto a day later, promised utilisation of 100% water allocated to the Mahadayi project making a ₹500 crore provision in its first cabinet meeting, if it came to power. The Yediyurappa government had allocated ₹500 crore in the 2020-2021 budget
