Panaji: The members of Progressive River Authority for Water and Harmony (PRAWAH) committee will conduct inspection of Mahadayi River basin in presence of the officials from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka from today (Thursday) onwards.
Goa’s water resources department minister Subhash Shirodkar said that the officials would be visiting all the sites including waterfalls and dams that would be affected, if Karnataka is allowed to divert the water of Mahadayi.
He said that PRAWAH committee led by its member N K Manglik has arrived in Goa on Wednesday, a day before the scheduled inspection of the basin.
Shirodkar said that the officials from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka state would be accompanying the PRAWAH committee during the inspection. The minister said that the inspection which will start today (Thursday) will continue till July 6.
“We will be show the PRAWAH members how Goa’s water resources including the famous Surla waterfall (located in the North District on Karnataka border) would dry out, if water is diverted,” he said.
Shirodkar said that the PRAWAH will also visit Kankumbi village in Karnataka where the neighbouring state (Karnataka) has proposed dam the water.
The minister said that the committee is scheduled to visit Amthane dam, Valvanti river, Anjunem dam, Uste river in Valpoi (all in North Goa) on Thursday and will visit Ganjem dam, Opa, Cumbharjua canal and Sarmanas (all in North Goa) on Friday.
Shirodkar pointed out that the inspection is being carried out following request by Goa government for the same. “Karnataka government had tried to put spokes in the inspection by trying to delay it. But PRAWAH went ahead with the dates,” he added.
Karnataka and Goa government have locked horns over the diversion of Mahadayi river. While the South Indian state has planned several dams across the river which originates in its jurisdiction, the coastal state (Goa) has claimed that any amount of diversion would spell doom for the ecology of the state.
All the three states including Maharashtra, through which the river flows before entering Goa, have filed Special Leave Petition before supreme court over the verdict given by Inter state water dispute tribunal delivered in August, 2018.
