AGENCIES|PANAJI

Diversion of water from the Mhadei river will severely affect drinking water supply, irrigation, navigation, tourism, ecology and environment in Goa, Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar told the Goa Assembly today.

Palyekar made the statement in response to a question from Congress MLA Ravi Naik in the Assembly.

In reply to an earlier question during the ongoing monsoon session, Palyekar had ruled out any negotiation on Mhadei river water-sharing with Karnataka, even as he had accused Karnataka of already diverting the river water to the depleted Malaprabha river basin through underground channels.

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra are currently battling a dispute over the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the waters of the Mhadei river.