Karnataka cannot divert water from the already deficit basin of the Mhadei river into the depleted basin of the Malaprabha river, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Wednesday, even as he conceded that the Southern State will get its rightful share of drinking water when the interstate tribunal eventually decides on the issue.
Parrikar, who has been criticised by the Opposition as well as civil society groups, for writing to former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa offering to consider the Southern State’s demand for drinking water from the Mhadei basin, also accused the media as well as his critics of being poorly informed on the subject.
“If someone thinks that (Mhadei) water cannot be taken by Karnataka, he is living in fool’s paradise. He doesn’t understand law. A river which flows through Karnataka, how can you deny water to them. But they cannot take the water to some other area. They have to drink it or they have to use it in that area,” Parrikar told reporters at the State Secretariat following a weekly cabinet meeting.
“35 km of the river flows through Karnataka. 16 km in Maharastra and 52 km in Goa. In Goa most of the (area) water is salty. Sharing of water of Mhadei is inevitable because it is passing through three States. If someone thinks that Karnataka will not get share out of Tribunal judgement, I think he is living in fool’s paradise. How can it happen,” Parrikar also said.
Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra are currently battling a dispute over the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the waters of the Mhadei river at a central tribunal. Mhadei also known as the Mandovi river, is known as a lifeline in the northern parts of the State. It originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa, while briefly flowing through the territory of Maharashtra.
Karnataka also aims to build seven dams at various points along the river, aimed with an objective to divert the flow into what it claims is the water-starved Malaprabha basin in North Karnataka. The State has demanded that Goa should allow the transfer of over seven TMC water to tide over its irrigation and drinking water needs.
Governments across party lines, over the last decade and more have stated as a matter of policy, that diversion of the Mhadei or the Mandovi river would sound a death knell to the northern areas of the State, which are dependent on the river for fishing, irrigation and potable water supply.
Parrikar claims, that Karnataka’s demand for diversion of water into the Malaprabha basin was unreasonable and not maintainable under law, because the Mhadei basin itself was in deficit.
“In the River Sharing act that it is written that you cannot carry water from a deficit basin to another basin. The issue before the tribunal is whether the Mhadei basin is in deficit or not...” he said. “115 TMC water is available in the Mhadei basin. Requirement in Mhadei basin of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa is about 145 TMC. Therefore the river basin is negative on requirement. Therefore water cannot be taken from the river and taken to some other river. That is the point before the Tribunal,” Parrikar also said.
The former Defence Minister also slammed his critics and a section of the media of being ill-informed about the issue and said that slandering him for writing the contentious letter to Yeddyurappa was incorrect.
“If they (critics) want, they should read my letter first. I have written the letter to Yeddyurappa. I have said again and again and the letter says I am ready to talk within the parameters of the Mahdei Tribunal,” Parrikar said.
Parrikar’s December letter offering to consider the Southern State’s demand for “drinking water” on “humanitarian grounds” to the Karnataka party colleague, following a meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, had stoked a series of protestations in both States, with farmers also joining the protests accusing the BJP of trying to politicise the water shortage issue in the northern regions of Karnataka. ends