PANAJI

Karnataka police today detained eight officials from Water Resources department who were on the visit to Mhadei river dam site.

“Eight officials from our team which had visited the site where Karnataka has blocked Mhadei river were detained today by Karnataka police,” Goa Water Resources Department Minister Vinod Palyekar said.

Palyekar said that the officials from his department were questioned by the Karnataka police and later released after recording their statement.

The minister said that he has informed Goa’s Principal Secretary Krishnamurthy who will take up this matter with his counterpart in Karnataka.

“The action of detaining the government officers who were on duty is condemnable,” Paleykar said adding that “the officials were asked by police not to visit the site without proper permission from Karnataka district administration authorities.”

Meanwhile, Goa government is preparing to file a contempt petition before the Supreme Court (SC) alleging that Karnataka had diverted the water from the river to Malaprabha basin.