Panaji (GOA) Goa Government today exposed Karnataka before the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) by highlighting the very fact that the Malaprabha basin witnessed tremendous water scarcity allegedly due to drastic increase in the cultivation of sugarcane.

The cross examination of its second witness AK Bajaj continued today and will resume now back on Monday.

Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni, representing Goa, pointed out that water yield of Malaprabha dam stood at 27 TMC in 2009; much lower than what it was initially- 47.25 TMC.

The alleged water scarcity was noticed precisely during the very same period when there was drastic increase in the cultivation of sugarcane; which is widely recognized as a water guzzling crop.

To reassert the magnitude and implications of such conflicting developments in the region it was put to the witness that in the year 1979 to 1980 there was only 224 Ha of land cultivated with sugarcane, whereas in the years 2009 to 2010 it was recorded that there was a phenomenal increase of sugarcane cultivation covering an approximate area of 3038 Ha, and furthermore, in the year 2010 – 2011 it is recorded that the cultivation had gone up to 3421 ha.

The witness failed to justify the same and attempted to dodge the questions by giving evasive answers.