Porvorim: Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that no new diversion or illegal works have been undertaken by Karnataka on the Mhadei river since July 22, 2025, and that the state continues to pursue legal remedies in connection with earlier instances of water diversion.
Replying to a starred question tabled by Independent MLA Aleixo Lourenco during the ongoing Winter Session of the House, Shirodkar said there was no occasion to write to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the issue during the said period, as no fresh diversion works were reported.
He informed the House that the government has filed an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court to place on record new documents discovered by its legal team in connection with the Mhadei water dispute.
The minister said no new illegal works, including the laying of underground conduits on the Mhadei river, have been undertaken by Karnataka during the period under reference, adding that the state remains vigilant and will actively oppose any projects proposed by the neighbouring state that could threaten Goa’s water security.
Shirodkar said the Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony (PRAWAH), a statutory authority constituted to implement the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal award and monitor compliance by the concerned states, was not approached during the period as no new violations were reported.
The minister also informed the Assembly that the Goa government has decided to take up eight water storage projects in the Mhadei basin to augment the state’s water security, with a proposed cumulative storage capacity of about nine thousand million cubic feet (TMC).
He said the Charawane Minor Irrigation Dam project in Sattari taluka, which was taken up in 2007 with a proposed storage of 230 hectare-metres at an estimated cost of Rs 15.06 crore, was stalled due to issues raised by the State Forest Department and is currently under review, subject to statutory clearances.
Shirodkar added that the process of finalising work orders for consultancy for six of the eight proposed dams — Nirankal, Rivem, Nanoda, Sonal I, Matojanwada and Bolkarne (Ragada III) — is underway, while planning and design work for the remaining two projects, Kajumol and Tatodi, is in progress.
