Panjim: The Goa Government came under heavy grilling from the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly over the River Mhadei issue and alleged corruption worth crores of rupees in the tender process for event management companies.
Thousands of people gathered at Virdi-Sanquelim area in Goa to extend support to the “Save Mhadei” movement, which highlighted several a resolutions demanding that the Central Water Tribunal withdraw the approval of DPR (allowing diversion of 3.9 TMC feet water of this River) granted to Karnataka for diverting the natural water flow of the River Mhadei.
Pointing out that the Mhadei River diversion would severely impact the population of Goa’s six talukas for their drinking water needs, the gathering noted that the affected also included the river’s flora and fauna, local people’s life and culture, besides the Western Ghats, fisherfolk, farmers, cultivated areas and biological resources.
Urging the Goa Government to not “sacrifice” the Mhadei River under any pressure, the gathering, in another resolution, stated that the Government come out publicly in support of this “Save Mhadei” movement since this issue is associated with the “self-respect, identity and future” of Goans.
TMC leader Kirti Azad questioned the survival and future of Goa’s wildlife parks and tourism if the Mhadei River diversion became a reality.
Chicalim social worker and Green activist Fr Bolmax Pereira said that the Goa Chief Minister and Mlas should resign in protest if they failed to resolve this issue.
Poet Datta Damodar Naik questioned how the State of Karnataka is allowed to divert this River when even nations could not do this. “As many as six rivers flow from India to Pakistan but the flow was never stopped. So why is Karnataka doing this?,” he queried.
Social activist Xencor Polgi –while highlighting Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s claim that the River Mhadei is “more than a Mother to him” – noted the CM’s absence at this gathering. Since the politicians had failed to protect the Mhadei River in Goa, the people’s protest in this regard should be supported by the politicians, he said.
Prominent among those attending the meeting were MLAs Altone D’Costa, AAP’s Vency Viegas and Cruz Silva, beside former MLAs Alina Saldanha, Ramakant Khalap, Pratap Gawas and Victor Gonsalves.
Earlier, the six-MLAs Opposition group in the Goa Legislative Assembly – in an attempt to urge the Goa Governor P S Sreedharan to speak on the Mhadei imbroglio in the ongoing Assembly session – held placards and shouted slogans besides rushing to the well of the House, from where the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar ordered the marshals to eject them from the house.
However, before they could be ejected by the marshals, the six MLAs walked out and boycotted the Governor’s speech.
Meanwhile, the Opposition members led by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai even questioned the Government over giving post-facto approval towards crores of rupees expenditure by event management companies and demanded formation of a House Committee to look into this matter.
The Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant — while replying to a starred question tabled jointly by Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Vijay Sardesai – said that the events were tendered according to set procedures.
Sawant said that Rs 4.28 crores was spent on the opening ceremony of Goa’s 60th Liberation Day celebrations at Campal in Panjim on December 19, 2020; Rs 9.35 crores on National Womens Parliament, Youth Parliament and Panchayat Parliament held at Bambolim Indoor Stadium on November 8 to 12, 2021.
(BOX) Goa’s environmental activist Rajendra Kerkar noted that a legal battle remained the only solution to stop diversion of the Mhadei River in Karnataka, since the Central Water Tribunal’s award for allowing Karnataka 3.9 TMC water in this regard cannot be stopped.
However, Karnataka – in its DPR – has proposed diversion of the Surla River water and Goa could take this legal battle forward and win, he said.
“If one studies thoroughly Karnataka’s proposed projects, they will realise the disaster awaiting Goa, which will not get even a single drop of water. Therefore the Goa MLAs need to study the 12 volumes prepared on the Mhadei River, as even the Karnataka MLA’s are very knowledgeable on this issue,” he added.
