Goa Water Resources Development Minister Vinod Palienkar on Thursday reiterated that he was firm on not releasing any water to Karnataka ahead of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal’s verdict.
He was speaking to reporters after meeting with a delegation of the Mahadayi Bachav Abhiyan. Mr. Palienkar said, “I have made my stand very clear on Mahadayi water. Once we take a stand, we do not change it.”
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had last month written to Karnataka BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, offering to consider sharing drinking water with Karnataka on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Palienkar, a member of BJP ally Goa Forward Party (GFP), had earlier called the letter political stunt. GFP president and Minister for Agriculture Vijay Sardesai had intervened, saying Mr. Palienkar had actually referred to the Chief Minister’s “political compulsion.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Parrikar had said, “Those who believe that Karnataka can be denied water from the Mhadayi river were living in a fool’s paradise”.
Sena writes to PM
The Goa Shiv Sena has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to stop Mr. Parrikar from allowing Karnataka to divert river water.
