The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the construction of the Kalasa Bhanduri project on Mahadayi river. But it asked the Karnataka government not to divert or use the river water till the next date of hearing on July 18.
Despite vehement argument by the Goa government, a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal said: “The state will not utilise the water or divert under the project till the next date of hearing.”
The Central government had submitted before the Court that the Kalasa Bhanduri project on Mahadayi river in Karnataka is not given approval and Karnataka is constructing it on its own without the mandatory forest clearance.
Unplanned funds
Karnataka in an affidavit stated that the state has been constructing the project since October 2006 in the non-forest areas out of unplanned state funds at its own risk. “It is a drinking water project for the water shortage areas of Hubli and Dharwad region and the project would be using only 7.56 TMC water...,” submitted advocate Anitha Shinoy.
