Mhadei award not final, will seek recall of SC's interim order: Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: A day after TOI pointed out how the Centre cannot notify the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal award of August 14, 2018 for another six months, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday that his government would approach the Supreme Court to “recall” its interim order asking the Union government to notify the tribunal order.
The state government’s move comes after TOI, in its front-page report on Saturday’s edition, said the tribunal had been given an extension till August 19 by the Jal Shakti ministry to provide clarifications to the queries raised by the three riparian states—Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
“The six-month extension granted to the tribunal (till August 19, 2020) offers Goa an opportunity to get the August 14, 2018 award modified to reflect the state’s concern, which was highlighted in the special leave petition filed in the Supreme Court,” Sawant told TOI.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court passed an interim order asking the Centre to notify the tribunal’s August 14, 2018 award, but also admitted Goa’s petition and said the outcome would depend on the final hearing which the apex court had fixed for July 15, 16 and 24.
The latest move by Goa came after Sawant along with advocate general Devidas Pangam consulted Supreme Court senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, who suggested that the state should seek a recall of the SC’s interim order.
“Till the final order is passed, Karnataka won’t be able to take action against the interests of Goa,” Sawant said.
He also said that during the hearings in the apex court on July 15, 16 and 24, the state government will furnish enough evidence to prove that Karnataka has diverted water illegally from the Mhadei basin.
The state government, in the special leave petition, wants the tribunal award allotting 3.9tmc ft to Karnataka for drinking quashed.
In August 2018, the three-decade-old dispute between the three states over sharing of the Mhadei waters ended with the tribunal rejecting Karnataka’s demand for 36.5tmc ft, and allotted it only 13.4tmc ft, including 3.9 tmc ft for drinking purposes through diversions, against its demand for 7.5tmc ft.
The latest move by Goa came after Sawant along with advocate general Devidas Pangam consulted Supreme Court senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, who suggested that the state should seek a recall of the SC’s interim order.
“Till the final order is passed, Karnataka won’t be able to take action against the interests of Goa,” Sawant said.
He also said that during the hearings in the apex court on July 15, 16 and 24, the state government will furnish enough evidence to prove that Karnataka has diverted water illegally from the Mhadei basin.
The state government, in the special leave petition, wants the tribunal award allotting 3.9tmc ft to Karnataka for drinking quashed.
In August 2018, the three-decade-old dispute between the three states over sharing of the Mhadei waters ended with the tribunal rejecting Karnataka’s demand for 36.5tmc ft, and allotted it only 13.4tmc ft, including 3.9 tmc ft for drinking purposes through diversions, against its demand for 7.5tmc ft.