RG starts signature drive, campaign to save Mhadei

Panaji: Revolutionary Goans (RG) party launched a campaign ‘Together for Mhadei’ to try and galvanise the state and create pressure on the Centre to withdraw the approvals granted for the Kalasa-Bhandura water diversion project. RG founder president Manoj Parab said that the party will not collaborate with the opposition as all the political parties have betrayed Goa’s claims on the Mhadei.
A large crowd gathered at Azad Maidan for the awareness programme or ‘Mahadayi kranti’ where RG also announced a signature campaign as part of the campaign that will be organised across the state.
The attendees also took a pledge to prevent diversion, contamination and pollution of the Mhadei.
Parab said that BJP and Congress are concerned about victory in the Karnataka assembly elections, while Goa Forward Party (GFP) lauded the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s verdict as a victory for Goa.
“This is a movement for our water. There will be a massive ecological impact. People need to speak up and protest,” said RG MLA Viresh Borkar.
Parab provided the audience with a chronology of the Mhadei water dispute and the various deliberations and studies on Karnataka’s attempts to divert water from the river’s basin.
Once Karnataka starts diverting water, the entire Western Ghats in Goa will begin to suffer, said Parab. “Our future water needs will not be met. Daily, every constituency faces a water shortage while 85% of Goa’s wells are on the verge of drying up, and this government is bringing in more hotels, more projects,” said Parab.
Parab also blamed ex-CM Manohar Parrikar for the current crisis.
“I have continuously demanded a discussion on the Mhadei during the assembly session. This issue needs to be understood by all the MLAs; they should be given a chance to speak on this, and we need to understand the government’s stand on the issue,” said Borkar, adding that Congress’ demand for a one-day discussion is not sufficient as it is a 40-year-old dispute that needs at least 10 days of discussions.