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Karnataka told to stop work on Mahadayi: Digambar Kamat

Special Correspondent

‘Union Minister is convinced that the matter requires arbitration’

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said on Thursday that Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz had recently directed the Karnataka Government to stop the ongoing works on river Mahadayi.

Talking to presspersons at the State Secretariat on Thursday, Mr. Kamat said that the Union Minister told him that the Karnataka Government had taken up the works without any assistance from the Centre.

The Goa Chief Minister, who is closely pursuing the contentious issue with the Union Government since he took over reins of power early this month, said: “Their [Karnataka’s] defence is that they have been spending for the projects from State’s non-plan funds for the purpose of drinking water supply.” In reply to a question over the long simmering inter-State water dispute, Mr. Kamat claimed that Mr. Soz was convinced that this matter required arbitration. “Therefore, we have pressed for a tribunal and also urged the Centre to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court giving all the details,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that his Government would engage best of the lawyers to defend the interest of the State over the issue of Mahadayi water diversion.

The Goa Government is opposed to the Karnataka Government’s Kalasa-Banduri Nala project as it fears diversion of the water from Mahadayi basin to Malaprabha river in Karnataka could have devastating effects on State’s environment and ecology on long term basis.

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