The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Karnataka government for making noise regarding the Kalsa-Bhandura project on the Mhadai river and issued a strict warning that no work can be done on this project and no water can be diverted without obtaining all the statutory permission and has suspended the Kalsa-Bhandura project.
The Supreme Court has passed this order on an interlocutory application filed by the Goa state government. Apart from this, the commission has also been ordered to give the copy of the certified letter (DPR copy) approved by the Central Water Commission to the Goa government immediately. The case of diversion of Mhadai river in Goa is pending before the Chief Wildlife Warden
And any construction proposed by the State of Karnataka shall be subject to their orders. The Karnataka government had said that no permissions are required for this, and the court has stayed the Kalsa-Bhandura project, hitting Karnataka.
In the hearing of the Mhadai case held on Monday, the Supreme Court has informed in its verdict that the next hearing of the case will be held in July 2023, along with ordering the suspension of the Kalsa-Bhandura project. Therefore, the approval of the DPR given by the Central Government’s Water Commission without considering Goa, has received a curfew at present.
Assembly elections are being held in Karnataka in the next two-three months. In this background, the central government had tried to take an urgent decision in this regard. He has been struck down by the Supreme Court. Goa is relieved that no work on the overall Mahadai project will start now.
