DIVERSION: The Kalasa-Bhandura canal is expected to divert Mhadei waters to the water-guzzling sugarcane plantations of the Malaprabha basin in Karnataka. Karnataka is misleading Goa in claiming that water is needed for meeting the drinking water requirements of Huballi and Dharwad.

By Rajan Narayan

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was reportedly informed in advance by the Central government about the diversion of the Mhadei River. No wonder the Opposition boycotted his call for a joint delegation to oppose the diversion.

THE treachery of the double-barreled BJP government in Karnataka and Goa permitting the diversion of the Mhadei at the Kankumbi village near Belgavi District is transparent now. The diversion of the Mhadei waters will not only affect irrigation in Goa. It will also bring down water levels in the Mandovi river drastically, making it impossible for barges to ply, let alone casinos to operate normally.
All this comes at a time when mining is all set to resume with the auctioning of four major iron ore mining block so far. If iron ore cannot be moved by barges its export despite the 0% export duty will not be viable, because river transportation I much cheaper than road transportation.
There will be no sighting of tigers in the Sattari taluka, almost specifically Sanquelim, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s constituency. The diversion of the Mhadei river will affect the delegate ecology of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, it will pretend the movement of wildlife from the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary. Wildlife movement will be affected majorly.
The diversion will also affect Chorla Ghat, the road lifeline between Goa and Belgaum. The already unstable road will be further undermined by the diversion. It will eventually force travelers to Belgaum to go via Anmod Ghat. Noted Indian ecologist Mahdav Gadgil had done a detailed study of the Western Ghats, and specifically the section between Goa and Belgavi. Gadgil described it as very rich in flora and fauna, with several rare varieties of plants and shrubs which may all be washed away and submerged if the headwaters of the Mhadei in eastern Karnataka are diverted. The entire spectrum from the big cat to smaller creatures of the jungle will literally lose their habitat. Where will the creatures of the wild go?

MANDOVI WILL BE AFFECTED
INDEED, Goa’s water supply all along the route of the Mhadei which enters the Goa’s Western Ghats section to become the Mandovi river will be seriously affected – can Goa afford this kind of water shortages and glitches especially when the State is witnessing an unprecedented tourism revival and boom? The diversion of Mhadei headwaters coincides with the opening up of the new Mopa or Manohar International Airport and this will increase the load on water resources in Goa. Who will get water and who will not or much less of it. Local water distress and fights will erupt as will violence and crime – all over water.
IT ALL began way back in 2012 with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of Goa and veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa heading the Opposition in Karnataka. Parrikar wanted to extend a helping hand to Karnataka BJP in the elections and offered upto six million cubic centimeters water only to meet the drinking water requirements of Huballi and Dharwad.
Taking this as a green signal the Karnataka government started preliminary work on constructing the Kalasa-Bandura dam at the Kankumbi village near Belgavi. We recall seeing the preparation for the destruction of the Mandovi when we visited the site. Goa can afford to be generous and permit Karnataka to divert six cubic milliliter of water but even this is bitterly opposed by Goan activist led by Goa’s former power minister (and the est by far) and wildlifer and environment crusader Nirmala Sawant of the Goa Bhachao Abhiyan.

ASK RAJENDRA KERKAR
THE details of the damage that will take place is meticulously explained by the other environmentalist in Goa Rajendra Kerkar, who is very familiar with the water drainage systems of Goa in the Mhadei-Mandovi river basins and the riverine tributaries and the problems which will arise once so much water is diverted through major engineering tampering of the Western Ghats topography and to the detriment of the river Mandovi river waters running through Goa.
The allegation against Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is that he is sacrificing Goan interests to benefit Karnataka. The timing is significant as Karnataka is facing another assembly election. It is suspected that Karnataka will divert the Mhadei waters to the Mallaprabha basin where large tracts of land are sugarcane estates. Sugarcane is a huge water guzzler and is responsible for the water famine in Karnataka. Karnataka’s problems are Karnataka’s and have arisen by the State’s wanton use and abuse of its own water resources and share of the Western Ghats.
Somehow the Central government must be forced to withdraw the decision permitting Karnataka to build the Kalasa-Bandura dam and divert Mhadei river headwaters for this will affect the flowing of the Mandovi river through Goa majorly. The diversion is against the observation and verdicts of the Central Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal.
Very few of Goa’s politicians have really understood or bothered to oppose the diversion of Mhadei waters right from the beginning. It is clear that the diversion has been done in consultation with and with the concurrence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who has no backbone. The only senior BJP leader who has threatened to resign if the decision is not reversed is Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shripad Naik. Whether he does or not is left to anyone’s imagination for all the good it will do.

POLITICAL ARITHMETIC
THE arithmetic is simple. Karnataka has 224 legislative assembly seats as against Goa’s 40. This is more than five times the number of assembly seats in Goa. Even more important by virtue of the 240 assembly seats Karnataka has 12 Rajya Sabha seats. Though the BJP has a overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha, it still does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha. To get constitutional bills favoring Hindutva passed, a bill has to be passed both by the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Among the bills that have been blocked by the Rajya Sabha is the Citizenship of India bill which grants free citizenship to Hindus in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, does not mention other Indian communities like Christians and Buddhists. A sweeping victory in Karnataka as in Gujarat will give the BJP all the 12 Rajya Sabha seats enabling it to make constitutional amendments like the Citizenship of India into law which is pending.
The diversion of Mhadei must be stopped now. We cannot wait six months for the elections in Karnataka to be completed. This is because by that time it will be too late and not only the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary but the Mandovi river will begin to reflect the story of water diversion from one river basin to another up in the Western Ghats.
In Goa’s interests the eight Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP must return to the Congress to put up a joint fight against the murder of the Mandovi river in Goa, that is of course if they care more about their home state than their fortunes.