Goa’s allegations that Karnataka has resumed work on the Mahadayi project in violation of Supreme Court norms at Kanakumbi, birth place of the river, are false and baseless, M.B. Patil, Irrigation Minister, said on Monday.
He was speaking after visiting Kanakumbi along with officials. “Goa Minister Vinod Palyekar, who visited Kanakumbi on Sunday, has alleged that we have started work on the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project. But that is false. What he has seen is signs of old work. We had built a wall and a small tunnel after the Union government allowed us to use seven tmcft of water in 2007. We have not taken up any work after that,” Mr. Patil said.
To divert Mahadayi water into Kalasa or Banduri nalas, we need dams and a pump house. Work on these units has not been initiated, Mr. Patil pointed out and asked Mr. Palyekar to seek a public apology for using “unparliamentary terms” to describe the people of Karnataka.
District in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, Chief Whip Ashok Pattan, Irrigation Department officials and others were present.
