from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Sep 11: The union government has decided to take action under inter-state river water disputes act to resolve the long pending Mhadei river dispute between Goa and Karnataka.

While Karnataka has been vying to divert the Mhadei river waters, Goa is opposing it tooth and nail pointing out to the possible ecological destruction in the downstream areas.

Rajya sabha member of parliament Shantaram Naik, referring to the letter written to him by union minister for water resources Saifuddin Soz, has  said that the dispute could not be solved amicably between the two states.

Karnataka government in April, 2002 had requested for clearance of proposal from inter-State angle for diversion of 7.56 TMC of water from Mahadayi basin to Malaprabha basin through implementation of Kalsa and Bandurinalla schemes to meet the drinking water needs of Hubli/Dharwad cities.

“Ministry of Water Resources gave an “in-principle” clearance to the proposal on April, 30, 2002. However, since government of Goa in July 2002 strongly objected to the grant of clearance and requested  for setting up of Inter-State Water Disputes Act,1956 for resolution of the dispute,” reads the letter.

Soz has told Naik that the ministry, therefore, kept the order of clearance in abeyance in order to find a negotiated settlement between the two States.

Soz convened a meeting of the two chief ministers on April 4, 2006 in which it was decided that the chairman of the Central Water Commission should convene a meeting of the officials of the two States , however, officials of the Government of Goa did not participate in the meeting convened by CWC, Naik stated.

Subsequently, Karnataka chief minister on May 19 May, 2006, wrote to his Goa counterpart and to Soz to agree to the implementation of Khalsa-Banduri Nala diversion  scheme  of Karnataka Government, Naik added.

Naik said that Goa, however, did not agreed, stating it was always opposed to the diversion of Mandovi basin water outside the basin and there is no change in Goa’s stand in this regard.