Karnataka’s decision to go ahead with a water diversion project on Mahadayi River has escalated its long-standing dispute on the issue with neighbouring Goa.
Mahadayi River
- River Mahadayi or Mhadei stretches 111-km.
- It rises in the Western Ghats, from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Belagavi district of Karnataka.
- Flowing westward, it enters Goa. Over two-thirds of the river’s stretch lies in Goa (76km).
- It is known as River Mandovi in Goa.
- Most of Goa’s 11 rivers contain salt water and Mandovi ensures water security as well as being an important place to source fish for the state.
- River Mahadayi joins the Arabian Sea at Panaji, Goa.
Diversion Project On Mahadayi River Dispute
- On December 30, 2022, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the Legislative Assemblythat the government had received clearance from the Centre for two Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on the Kalasa-Banduri Nala on the Mahadayi.
- Goa immediately raised a red flag, announcing on January 2 that it would take an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet other Union ministers to block the project.
- Karnataka has dug in its heels, with Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol Monday announcing that tenders for the project would be floated soon and work begin within a month.
What is the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project?
- The Kalasa Banduri Nala project aims to divert water from River Mahadayi to satisfy the drinking water needs of Karnataka’s parched districts (Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Gadag districts).
- As per plans, this project aims to build barrages against Kalasa and Banduri streams of River Mahadayi.
- Though the project was first proposed in the early 1980s, it has remained on paper owing to a dispute between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
What is Mahadayi River Dispute?
Background Of Mahadayi River Dispute
What Did The Tribunal Say?
- The Tribunal in 2018 awarded 13.42 TMC water from Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka, 1.33 TMC to Maharashtra and 24 TMC to Goa.
- In Karnataka’s share, 5.5 TMC was to meet drinking water needs and 8.02 TMC was for hydro-electricity generation.
- Of the 5.5 TMC, 3.8 TMC was to be diverted to Malaprabha basin through Kalasa and Banduri Nalas (canals). This was notified by the Central government in February 2020.
What Happened After The Notification?
- After the Tribunal award, Goa filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court in July 2019, challenging the quantum of allocation.
- Subsequently, in October 2020, it filed a contempt petition before the SC, accusing Karnataka of illegally diverting water from the Mahadayi basin. Civil appeals were also filed by Maharashtra over the dispute.
- The project has been a long-standing demand of Karnataka residents set to benefit from it. With Assembly elections due this year, the state government, despite the petitions pending in the SC, has decided to go ahead with the project, after securing a go-ahead from the Central Water Commission (CWC).
- A clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) is still awaited.
To Download Monthly Current Affairs PDF Click here
Get Inspiration from CLAT 2024 Topper
Click here to get a free demo
Frequently Asked Questions
The name of River Mahadayi in Goa is River Mandovi
Mahadayi river flows into the Arabian Sea in Goa
Article 262 of the Indian Constitution states that Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley
