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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Mahadayi river water dispute resolution tribunal allocates 13.5tmcft to Karnataka

Mahadayi river water dispute resolution tribunal allocates 13.5tmcft to Karnataka

Goa, which had opposed Karnataka's demands of over 36tmcft of water, has been allocated 24tmcft

The tribunal’s judgment comes at a time when north Karnataka, the second-most arid region in the country, has been demanding for water from the Mahadayi river. Alamy

Bengaluru: Karnataka has been allocated around 13.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water from the Mahadayi river—also known as Mandovi —according to the final report of the tribunal set up to settle the nearly four decade-old dispute between the state and its neighbours, Goa and Maharashtra.

“We (Karnataka) got 13.5tmcft—5.5tmcft for water to be transferred to the Malaprabha basin and 8tmcft to be used for power generation," Brijesh Kalappa, Karnataka’s counsel at the tribunal, said on Tuesday.

Goa, which had opposed Karnataka’s demands of over 36tmcft of water, has been allocated around 24tmcft while Maharashtra has been allocated 1.3tmcft, Kalappa said.

Goa maintained that proposed diversions of the river’s waters by Karnataka will have an adverse effect on all “well-established socio-economic activities" with “disastrous environmental consequences".

The over 2,000-page judgment—the product of 109 sittings of the tribunal since September 2012 —comes at a time when north Karnataka, the second-most arid region in the country, has been demanding for water for drinking and for developmental projects from the Mahadayi river.

“I have already discussed with the officers from the water resources department and legal experts in this regard. The final award recommendation of the tribunal is about 12 volumes and will take appropriate decision only after studying it in detail and consulting with all concerned" Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said in a statement on Tuesday.

The verdict also directs the central government to constitute a body called ‘Mahadayi Water Management Authority’ to implement the report and final decision.

The Mahadayi river, which originates in Karnataka, has a basin area of 2,032sq.km, of which 375sq. km lies in Karnataka, 77sq. km in Maharashtra and remaining 1580sq. km is in Goa. At 75% dependability the quantum of the water has been estimated at 188.06tmc.

“I am happy that the Mhadei tribunal with its final verdict has done justice to Goa. I thank the legal team and everyone who have fought relentlessly for protecting our lifeline Mhadei," Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar said on micro blogging site Twitter on Tuesday.

The verdict granted 1.5tmc of water for in-basin consumptive use for drinking and irrigation within the Mahadayi river basin, along with evaporation losses from the reservoir(s) through proposed Mahadayi hydroelectric project.

Karnataka was also granted 2.18tmc of Mahadayi water at the proposed Bhandura Dam and 1.72tmc of water at the proposed Kalasa Dam.

However, the tribunal said that water can be diverted to Kalasa-Bhandura only if the state undertakes fresh planning and development of schemes for consumptive uses within the basin and/or diversion of water outside the basin.

Karnataka has also been asked to modify the detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed Mahadayi hydroelectric project, adopting water availability at 75% dependability at the proposed project site limiting to a maximum of 8.02tmc.

A demand to divert 5.527tmcft of water to the Supa reservoir of the Kali hydroelectric power project and 7tmc of surplus water to the proposed Kotni reservoir was rejected.

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