Goa: Oppn calls out CM Sawant as MoEF gives a nod to Kalasa-Banduri project again

Amid the ongoing dispute with Karnataka over Mhadei river water, opposition parties have accused BJP's coalition governments in Goa and Karnataka of going against the interests of the coastal state yet again.

A combined opposition front on Tuesday called out Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar after he wrote to Karnataka's Home Minister Basavraj Bommai stating that the state 'can start the work on Kalasa-Banduri canal project'. After the Goa government objected to the Kalasa-Banduri water diversion project across the Mhadei river, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) wrote to the Karnataka government on December 18 stating that a green clearance given by Union Minister Javadekar was kept in abeyance till further notice. According to Goa CM Sawant, the diversion project would cause ecological devastation in the state.

READ | MoEF suspends letter that gave a nod to Kalasa-Banduri project

Reacting to Union Minister Javadekar's letter, Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar called letter by Javadekar to Karnataka's Home Minister to be a "special gift" of betrayal to Goa for Christmas. 

"The development clearly shows that BJP and NDA can not be trusted anymore in Goa and the Congress would see to it that this government standing on crutches of opportunist defectors is rejected by the people of Goa," Goa Congress President said, accusing the Chief Minister of Goa of surrendering himself to the BJP's central leadership.

CM Sawant was also accused by Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai, who accused the CM of lying to the people of Goa. "This is an unequivocal clearance to Karnataka for the Kalasa project. This is highly distressing," Sardesai said.

READ | Goa Congress protests in Delhi, demands rollback on Kalasa-Banduri dam project

CM Sawant appeals to people to not panic

Reacting to the accusations by the Congress and other opposition parties, Sawant took to his official Twitter handle on December 24 and urged people of Goa to not panic.

Adding further to his tweet, the Goa CM wrote, " Moreover, this topic is already before the Hon’ble Supreme Court and hence there can be no work carried out until the matter is decided finally. The public is assured that I remain committed to my stand of No Compromise on the subject of river Mhadei!"

READ | Goa CM-led delegation to meet Javadekar to counter Mhadei River issue

About Mhadei river water dispute

Goa and Karnataka have been engaged in a two-decade-long inter-state dispute over the Mhadei river waters. The conflict between the two states intensified when two months before the Karnataka Assembly bypolls, the MoEF approved Karnataka's Rs. 841 crore Kalasa-Banduri canal project.

The Goa government has been opposing the project which would divert the Mhadei river waters basin to the deficit basin of the Malaprabha river. The Mhadei river originates in Karnataka and faces the Arabian Sea near Panaji in Goa. The river also briefly flows through Maharashtra. 

READ | Environment Min Javadekar in Lok Sabha: India not responsible for climate change

READ | Congress wrongly portraying BJP as communal: Goa DyCM

(With agency inputs)