Goa-based NGOs write to Centre against Mahadayi river project

Throughout February, they are planning street corner meetings in every gram panchayat, citizen dialogue, a mass signature campaign, a candle vigil and an all-faith prayer

A file picture of the Mahadayi river diversion project in Belagavi district of Karnataka. Goa-based NGOs claim that diversion of water is not for the people. Copies of Karnataka government’s pitch for investment promising water to industries were attached to the memorandum  | Photo Credit: P K Badiger

Several Goa-based NGOs have written to the Union government to cancel the clearance by the Central Water Commission (CWC) to Karnataka’s detailed project report (DPR) for the Mahadayi river basin projects.

Throughout February, they are planning street corner meetings in every gram panchayat, citizen dialogue, a mass signature campaign, a candle vigil and an all-faith prayer.

Meanwhile, a joint legislature committee of the Goa assembly, comprising members of all parties, has decided to study the negative effects of the project on the environment and life in Goa, if Karnataka were to implement it.

NGOs are submitting multiple petitions to Union and State ministers, MLAs and MPs, and other elected representatives. On February 8, a delegation of Save Mhadei Save Goa movement, met Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai in Panaji. The delegation included Prashant Naik, Diana Tavares, Prajal Sakhardande, and advocate Hrudaynath Shirodkar.

A group calling itself ‘Concerned Citizens of Goa’ submitted copies of their petition to the Governor of Goa and 46 other leaders and officers. Their memorandum includes a demand to stop transportation of coal from ports in Goa.

Copies of the petition were given to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, other ministers, MLAs, and the four MPs, including Union Minister Shripad Yeso Naik. Copies were also given to the Chief Secretary of the State and the Chairman of the Mormugao Port Authority.

They have argued that Mhadei river water was being diverted only to benefit the steel and sugar factories along the Malaprabha river bank, and not for drinking or irrigation. It is being falsely portrayed that diversion of water is for the people, they alleged. Copies of Karnataka government’s pitch for investment under Sagarmala project promising Malaprabha water to industries were attached to the memorandum.

They demanded that this fact be placed before the Central River Water Tribunal urgently in order to stop the diversion. They alleged that Karnataka’s DPR violates the rule of not having any project within one kilometre of the Mahadayi tiger reserve. They asked the Goa Forest Department to invoke provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to stop the diversion in the interest of the wildlife and forests of ‘our Western Ghats’.

Goa must withdraw all approvals given for inclusion of its six rivers in the schedule to the National Waterways Act, 2016, and drop all proposed jetties, and categorically state to the Union government that the rivers belong to the local communities, according to the memorandum.