No environment clearance from Centre to K'taka project: Goa CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday claimed the Centre has not given environment clearance to Karnataka for the Kalasa Banduri project on Mahadayi river. Goa and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over the sharing of Mahadayi river waters, and Kalasa Banduri project aims at providing drinking water to three north Karnataka districts by diverting water from the Mahadayi river in Goa.

Sawant is scheduled to meet Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday as head of an all-party delegation from Goa demanding scrapping of Central approval for the Kalasa Banduri project. "The Union minister had written a letter to Karnataka regarding one of the projects, which is not Kalasa Banduri.

They have said environment impact assessment (EIA) is not required as a rule for an irrigation project," Sawant said. "It has never been mentioned in the letter that the project has been given environment clearance. We have demanded that this letter be withdrawn," Sawant added.

The CM claimed he had spoken to Javadekar three times since the controversy over the project began a few days ago, and the latter had stated that he was sensitive to the interests of Goa.

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