Goa seeks arrest of K’taka officials

PANAJI : Goa has sought arrest of Karnataka government officials for allegedly “disobeying and violating” the Mahadayi Interstate Water Disputes Tribunal order regarding the river’s water sharing. It has accused Karnataka of diverting waters from the Mhadei basin even before the tribunal pronounced its award last week.

Goa filed a disobedience petition under the Civil Procedure Code at the Tribunal in New Delhi on Monday. “We have filed a prayer for the arrest of the officials of Karnataka, who are involved in these violations and attachment of the properties of the state of Karnataka,” said Goa’s advocate general Dattaprasad Lawande. Karnataka’s response was not immediately available.

Goa has accused Karnataka of violating the tribunal’s injunction disallowing the diversion of waters until the final award was granted. Karnataka was directed in August 2008 not to divert or utilise the waters of Mahadayi River during the pendency of the hearings. “The diversion granted to Karnataka is not an absolute relief granted to the state of Karnataka, when… the order of injunction passed by the tribunal will continue to be operative and stand vacated/revoked only after Karnataka prepares revised project reports for consumptive uses within the basin and all mandatory clearances are obtained as per the law,” said Go’s additional solicitor general Atmaram Nadkarni.

Goa has also sought the constitution of the Mahadayi Water Management Authority to approve, monitor and implement the diversion of waters.

The tribunal had last week pronounced its award on the division of waters of the river, which originates in Karnataka, flows through Maharashtra before entering Goa. The water dispute dates back to 1985.

The tribunal awarded Karnataka 13.42 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) water, including 8.02 TMC for power generation and 5.5 TMC for diversion to Karnataka’s Malaprabha basin for irrigation. Goa was opposed to any diversion from the Mahadayi basin.