‘Complete betrayal’: Goa Opposition parties slam state govt over tribunal decision in water dispute with Karnataka

The Opposition parties in Goa have lashed out at the state government after the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti formally notified the decision of Mahadayi Interstate Water Disputes Tribunal, calling it a “complete betrayal of Goa”.

The ministry had formally notified the ‘report cum final decision’ (award) on Thursday in the official gazette, paving way for Karnataka to proceed with its river diversion project, much to the dislike of Goa.

“While listening to high assurances of @goacm on one side and on the other side action of Jal Shakti Ministry to notify Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal Award, Goa is left “High & Dry”. This is [a] complete betrayal of Goa,” Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat tweeted, tagging Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s office. 

Goa has opposed any diversion of waters of the River Mahadayi which originates in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, takes a detour via Maharashtra and enters Goa as the Mandovi. The Mahadayi river basin drains an area of 2,032 sq km, out of which an area of 375 sq km lies in Karnataka, 77 sq km in Maharashtra and the rest in Goa.

Both the Goa and Karnataka governments have, for very different reasons, challenged the final award granted by the tribunal, which in an verdict in August 2018, had granted Karnataka a total of 13.42 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet of water out of their demand for from their total claims of 36.558 tmc of water.

While Goa has approached the Supreme Court arguing that Karnataka shouldn’t be allowed to divert any water owing to the fact that the Mahadayi river is water deficient, Karnataka has told the apex court that the tribunal erred in granting it only 13.42 tmc of water.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petitions in July. Goa has also filed a separate application for a stay on the notification, which will be heard in March.

What has especially peeved Goa’s Opposition parties is that Advocate Arvind Datar, representing the state before the Supreme Court, did not oppose Karnataka’s plea.

“The ‘dry days’ in Goa have already begun with reports of water from [the] Mhadei basin already diverted by Karnataka. The entire state will transform into ‘desert’ if we don’t act sensibly and quickly,” Kamat said.

Karnataka claims that the river diversion project is to feed the parched regions of northern Karnataka, especially the twin towns of Hubli and Dharwad.

“Our worst fears have come true. With the Govt notifying the final decision of the Tribunal, all hope has faded. What does the Goa BJP Govt and the @goacm have to say? Everything you said and claimed you did on #Mhadei was nothing but lies and falsehoods? The Govt stands exposed,” Leader of the Goa Forward Party Vijai Sardesai, who is now in the Opposition, said.

“Have we lost Mhadei to the sugarcane factory owners of Karnataka, @goacmexplain or resign you have failed ... You will have to face @PrakashJavdekar you have cheated Goans, this is a tight slap on all those who called our agitation political,” tweeted Hrudaynath Shirodkar, an activist who was earlier arrested for having disrupted Union minister Prakash Javadekar’s function at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last year.