Months before the Karnataka polls, the Centre has approved a modified detailed project report (DPR) of the Kalasa-Bhandura (canal) drinking water project, which was one of the key poll promises made by BJP in Karnataka during the 2018 assembly . The DPR, which was approved despite objections from Goa, comes as a setback to Goas efforts to stop Karnataka from diverting Mhadei water.
While Goa CM Pramod Sawant tried to make Light of the latest development, his political opponents and environmentalists see the development as a fresh hurdle in the states efforts to contain the neighbouring states claim on the Mhadei.
According to Bommai, 1.72tmcft of water will be diverted from Kalasa stream and 2.18tmcft from Bhandura stream. The project will end the water crisis in Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag and Bagalkot districts in North Karnataka.
Karnataka accordingly submitted the pre-feasibility report of the Kalasa and Bhandura diversion schemes on June 17, 2022, to the Cwc for technical appraisal. The DPR of the Kalasa project was submitted on November 23 and that of the Bhandura project on November 28, 2022.
The CWC, in its memorandum to Karnataka, also mentioned that environmental flow may be released as stipulated in the Tribunals award. It instructed the project authority to communicate the information related to the daily withdrawal of the Mhadeis waters by the regular basis-to-basin states, and also underscored the need for the constitution of the Mahadayi Water Management Authority.