Panaji (Goa)

Amidst the current ongoing war over illegal diversion of Mahadeyi water at Kanakumbi, Goa government today filed brief summary of arguments before Mahadeyi Water Dispute Tribunal in Delhi.

The tribunal will hear Goa’s arguments during first week of February against Karnataka’s proposed dams on Mahadeyi river.

Senior Counsel Atmaram Nadkarni representing Goa before the tribunal said that State has filed brief summary of arguments which runs into  three volumes before the Mahadeyi water dispute tribunal. 

“The summary of arguments have been prepared dealing topic wise with the various issues framed by the tribunal.  The first volume contains the case and pleadings of the state of goa, along with excerpts of the evidence on hydrology placed by the state of goa through its witnesses,” Nadkarni said.

He said the second volume contains arguments and submissions on the environmental aspect as pleaded by the state of goa and so also the evidence placed by the state of goa through its witnesses on marine wild life,  marine ecology, environmental flows and adverse impacts to environmental proved in evidence by the state of goa. 

“The third volume contains the specific arguments on various legal issues such as,  non compliance of the state of karnataka to various statutory provisions,  and so also referral to the international law on river disputes and diversion of water, amongst others,” he added. 

Nadkarni said the brief gamut of arguments running into three volumes is roughly around 531 pages.

The counsel said that the   Goa’s case is essentially the challenge to the proposed 12 projects by the State of Karnataka in the Western Ghats, on interstate River Mahadeyi and thereafter, the further proposal for the trans-basin diversion into Malaprabha reservoir from the Mahadayi River.

He said that the State of Goa is primarily opposed to the proposed 12 Projects of the State of Karnataka as well as the Projects of the State of Maharashtra, trans basin diversion since it would result in a complete disaster of aquatic life, marine life, and terrestrial ecology and deprive the people of Goa of the Water for drinking as well as irrigation and industrial purposes.