The long-awaited verdict of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal delivered on Tuesday is being seen as “partial relief” for Karnataka by many, and the State government is contemplating approaching the tribunal again or the Supreme Court after studying the judgment in detail.
While Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, treading cautiously, said the government would take an “appropriate decision” after studying the report, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that Tuesday was a “dark day” for Karnataka.
Advocate Mohan Katarki, who represented Karnataka in the tribunal, described it as “partial success”, while adding that the tribunal could have allocated more water to Karnataka considering the availability in the Mahadayi basin.
In his reaction to the media in Delhi, Mr. Katarki said: “After holding that the total water in Mahadayi basis in 188.06 tmcft, the tribunal should have considered allocation of more water for Karnataka. We will go into the report and decide on the next course of action of either appealing before the Supreme Court or of filing reference for explanation or guidelines before the tribunal,” he said.
In a strong reaction, Mr. Shivakumar said that contrary to the expectations, the allocation of water made to the State was very meagre. “We had sought 36 tmcft of water, while only 13.42 tmcft has been allocated. In that, around 9 tmcft is for power generation and that water (after power generation) would again flow into the river. For drinking water, only 3.9 tmcft has been given. A lot of injustice had been meted out to the State,” he said.
According to him, the State had planned to fill up several tanks making use of the Mahadayi river water in Ramdurg, Bailahongal, Saundatti, which was also not approved. “The tribunal has agreed to the claim of Karnataka that 188 tmcft was the yield in the river, but has meted out injustice by not allocating water to the extent it was sought, even with availability,” he said adding that he was giving a statement on behalf of the government. “Goa cannot use 188 tmcft of water, while Karnataka can and was in need too,” said Mr. Shivakumar.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have hailed the verdict. Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said it meets the basic needs of Karnataka and it is time for the government to take up projects planned in the Mahadayi basin on priority basis.