Accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa of trying to compromise the interests of the state in the battle for the waters of the Mahadayi river with Karnataka, the Congress in Goa on Tuesday urged Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai to conduct an inspection of the construction sites for water diversion in the neighbouring state to get a first-hand account of the crisis facing the state.
“We request you to visit the construction sites along river Mahadayi in Karnataka with concerned officials of the government of Goa to assess the situation. Your visit will definitely help to get a first-hand report from the sites and the government will be compelled to act against the illegal work carried out by Karnataka. We request you to allow representatives of the political parties and the NGOs to accompany you during the inspection visit,” the Congress party said in a memorandum to Pillai, which accuses the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government in the state of maladministration.
“It is shocking to note that our neighbouring state Karnataka has initiated construction of bandharas to divert water from the Mahadayi basin despite the fact that the matter is pending before the Mahadayi water dispute tribunal and the Supreme Court of India. It appears that the government of Goa is intentionally turning a blind eye on the activities of the Karnataka government,” the memorandum signed by state Congress president Amit Patkar said.
Goa and Karnataka are battling out a two-decade-long dispute over the sharing of the Mahadayi river in the Supreme Court, after both parties expressed reservations about the award by the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal in 2018.
The Goa government has repeatedly come under fire from the Opposition and civil society groups for mishandling the Mahadayi issue.
Apart from an SLP challenging the contents of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal's award, the Goa government has also filed two other contempt petitions against Karnataka for illegally diverting water from the Mahadayi river basin.
The Goa government has also formed a special cell to oversee affairs related to the river dispute.