Goa's Stand Unshaken by CSIR-NIO's Mhadei River Report

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reassures that the CSIR-NIO's recent Mhadei River report will not impact the state's Supreme Court case. The report, conducted independently by the institute, addresses Karnataka's diversion plans. Goa challenges the Water Dispute Tribunal's verdict, amid public protests demanding clarity from the NIO.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed confidence that the CSIR-NIO's recently published report on the Mhadei River would not sway the state's legal proceedings in the Supreme Court. Speaking in Ponda, Sawant clarified that the government did not commission the research, which was independently undertaken by the CSIR-NIO.

The report, featured in the Journal of Earth System Sciences, suggested that Karnataka's plans to divert Mhadei water, as endorsed by the Water Dispute Tribunal, might minimally affect Goa. Sawant emphasized that this would not alter Goa's stance in the ongoing litigation against the Tribunal's water-sharing ruling.

Amid growing public interest, the Mhadei Movement and residents protested outside the NIO complex in Dona Paula on May 15, seeking detailed explanations from the institute regarding the findings of its three hydrologists on the river dispute.

(With inputs from agencies.)