In a reprieve for Goa, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on Wednesday kept in abeyance its letter written to Karnataka, stating that its proposed Kalasa-Banduri project on Mahadayi river did not need an environment clearance (EC).
The MoEF move comes after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is in New Delhi to attend the GST Council meeting, met Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday, seeking withdrawal of the letter.
Soon after the meeting, the MoEF wrote to Chief Engineer, Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd., saying it was keeping in abeyance its letter written on October 17, 2019.
The Kalasa-Banduri project is aimed at providing drinking water to three important districts of north Karnataka --- Belagavi, Gadag, and Dharwad --- which go parched in summer due to acute water scarcity.
The project involves diverting water from Mahadayi river, the lifeline of Goa, into Malaprabha river. However, the Goa government had objected to the MoEF October letter and demanded that it should either be withdrawn or kept in abeyance.
On Wednesday, MoEF Deputy Director Mohit Saxena wrote to Karnataka that based on the facts made available subsequently to the Ministry, it was observed that applications for clarification of the award of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal dated August 14, 2018 filed by Goa and Karnataka were still pending. “The award has also been challenged by the State of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra before the Supreme Court,” the letter reads. “In Special Leave Petition filed by the State of Goa, the Supreme Court has issued notice to the State of Karnataka,” it added.
“Pending resolution of all these cases related to the matter, the letter issued earlier by this ministry is hereby kept in abeyance,” it said.
However, Opposition parties in Goa sought complete withdrawal of the MoEF’s October letter to Karnataka.
