Panaji: With monsoon rainfall down about 32%, Goa govt has urged Centre to direct the chairperson of Mahadayi Prawah to immediately inspect the Kalasa and Bhandura project sites during the ongoing monsoon. Goa wants the inspection to assess the extent of any breach and to recommend the remedial measures required, with a report submitted to Centre.In a letter to the ministry of jal shakti, the state also asked Centre to initiate action regarding the technical appraisal granted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) for the Kalasa and Bhandura diversion schemes — either by revoking the appraisal or, alternatively, keeping it in abeyance.Goa further requested that Mahadayi Prawah be directed to identify and prepare an inventory of all civil infrastructure Karnataka constructed for the earlier Kalasa and Bhandura diversion schemes that has become redundant or has been abandoned following the CWC’s technical appraisal for the revised lift diversion scheme. Goa said appropriate steps should then be taken or recommended for removing the abandoned infrastructure and restoring the affected land and river bed to their natural state.Emphasising the river’s significance, the letter stated, “Considering the importance of the Mhadei river to the state of Goa, which serves not only as its primary source of fresh water but as a lifeline to the various settlements and populace of the state, I humbly request, and deeply hope that your good office will intervene in this matter.”The state said the letter was written to highlight the failure of Mahadayi Prawah — an authority constituted by Centre to secure compliance with and implementation of the award passed by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal.Goa also said it has information that Karnataka is in breach of the interim order. “Inspections carried out on our own initiative in past monsoon seasons have shown that water from the Mhadei basin is being diverted into the Malaprabha basin, a consequence, in our assessment, of the works by Karnataka at the Kalasa and Bhandura sites. Such works by Karnataka have obstructed the natural flow of water into the Mhadei basin,” the letter said.According to Goa, its water resources department has, since the constitution of Mahadayi Prawah, consistently pressed for an independent inspection of the sites so that the extent of the breach and any works undertaken without statutory clearances can be verified. “This is of importance as the works carried out by Karnataka sans any permissions have resulted in permanent damage to the river morphology,” the letter stated.
