Goa delegation meets Union minister Amit Shah over Mahadayi river diversion issue

A Goa government delegation led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged for the immediate constitution of a water management authority to resolve the issue of diversion of the Mahadayi river water.

The Goa government has also objected to the Central Water Commission's decision to sanction the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka to construct two dams on the Mahadayi river.

Goa and Karnataka are at loggerheads over diversion of water from the Mahadayi river through the construction of dams by Karnataka on the river's tributaries Kalasa and Banduri.

The Goa government has contended that Karnataka cannot divert water from the Mahadayi river, as it passes through the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located downstream in North Goa.

The Centre recently approved the DPR submitted by Karnataka for the construction of the two dams.

A delegation led by CM Sawant met Union minister Shah in this connection in New Delhi on Wednesday.

After the meeting, Sawant in a tweet said, "Goa government's delegation on Mhadei met the Hon'ble Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah Ji in New Delhi today and urged for immediate constitution of Mhadei Water Management Authority as given in the award and also urged for the withdrawal of the DPR sanctioned by CWC.'' The delegation included Union minister and North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Tendulkar, state Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane, Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and other leaders from the coastal state.

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra have challenged the award by the inter-state water dispute tribunal in 2019 over sharing water of the Mahadayi river. The case is currently before the Supreme Court.

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