The Goa government on Tuesday claimed to have got a “major victory”. Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni, who is representing Goa at the tribunal, said: “Karnataka has been allocated only 5.5 tmcft of water, which also includes 1.5 tmcft for in-basin consumptive use for which Goa did not have any objection.”
The Opposition Congress and environmentalists, however, called the tribunal verdict “very unfortunate”. Congress spokesperson Francisco Sardinha alleged that the verdict was manipulated by the BJP government at the Centre. “During elections in Karnataka, BJP national president Amit Shah had promised that the State would get water from the Mahadayi,” he alleged.
Rajendra Kerkar, senior environmentalist and leader of Mahadayi Bachav Abhiyan, Goa, said: “This is a loss to Goa, a setback to its environment and ecology.”
Goa Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar, who had claimed that the government would not share “one drop of water” from the Mahadayi with Karnataka, was unavailable for comment. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar tweeted: “I am happy that the Mahadayi Tribunal with its final verdict has done justice to Goa,”
