Only tribunal can decide on Mahadayi: Parrikar

His statement comes barely two months after offering to discuss the issue

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said that only the inter-State Water Disputes Tribunal appointed by the Union government can decide on the water-sharing issue of river Mahadayi.

Mr. Parrikar’s statement comes barely two months after offering to discuss the issue of sharing drinking water from the Mahadayi to Karnataka on humanitarian grounds, in a letter to Bharatiya Janata Party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa.

‘Academic interest’

Speaking to presspersons at the State Secretariat, Mr. Parrikar further said that all other discussions on the issue was only of academic interest.

“The discussion is only for the purpose of academic interest. We are fighting the case very well in the tribunal. Why do you need answers on every issue? If the tribunal is deciding, let it decide,” Mr. Parrikar said when asked to comment on the Mahadayi issue as the hearings resumed before the tribunal on Tuesday.

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra are currently involved in a legal dispute in the tribunal over Karnataka’s moves to divert water from the Mahadayi basin to nearby basin on the Malaprabha river.