Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil on Wednesday said the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal will tour Goa and Karnataka from December 12 to 22 for inspecting the progress of work on the long-pending Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.
Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Patil said that the tribunal had held discussions with advocates representing the State before the tribunal. “We are going to present strong arguments before the tribunal and we have taken steps to ensure that our interests are protected,” he said.
The government would follow the legal route by presenting its case before the tribunal and make an appeal before the tribunal to give the go-ahead to the project as it was meant for fulfilling drinking water needs. Work was progressing well in non-forest areas, he said. The government is determined to implement the project, and legal experts would put up a defence before the tribunal convincing it of the need for the project, Mr. Patil said.
The Goa government has been opposing the project. The project was taken up by the State government to mitigate drinking water requirements of a few taluks in Bagalkot, Belgaum, Dharwad and Gadag districts.
