Latest news with #Prawah
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Prawah has not noted any Karnataka illegality: MLAs
Porvorim: Legislators said in the assembly on Thursday that the Mhadei Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony (Prawah) has belied govt's claim of helping Goa's case against Karnataka. The authority, the legislators said, has not recorded a single illegality by Karnataka and has not facilitated inspections of the illegal works. The leader of the opposition, Yuri Alemao, said that Karnataka has prepared all the necessary hidden infrastructure to divert the water, while Goa is only busy filing contempt petitions in courts. 'What are our measures to harness the water to our side other than the legal relief? No mechanism has worked, meetings of the House committee on the Mhadei have not been convened, govt communication is not being entertained by Prawah,' said Alemao. He said, 'The authority is just an eyewash. What is moving ahead is the agenda of Karnataka govt.' Karnataka has done all the work on the ground, even marked the trees to be cut and the water to be siphoned off, said Alemao. He said as soon as Karnataka receives the environment ministry's permission, it will be ready to effect the diversion. Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that the WRD has replaced an experienced engineer, Dilip Naik, who had over 30 years of experience and deep knowledge on the Mhadei issue, with two inexperienced engineers to head the river water dispute cell. 'Karnataka may know of this technical and administrative vacuum in Goa and take advantage of it. This cell should be headed by the right person,' said Sardesai. He said that in the meantime, Goa's groundwater is being sucked dry through illegal borewells. 'Since 2022, 163 illegal borewells have been detected. Only 40 have been sealed across the state so far,' he said. Sardesai said that from Fatorda to Betul, the Sal river is choked with water hyacinth. 'Crores have been spent on lawyers' fees in the Mhadei matter. You need to move a motion on that application for final hearing,' said Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira. 'The main matter will be lost when you keep filing for contempt etc. in the court.' St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar said that multiple projects are coming up on the Kadamba plateau, which is a reservoir of groundwater. Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said that Goa needs a state water security plan and a village security plan to better manage its water needs. The flooding experienced in Bicholim needs to be urgently addressed, said Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye. 'From Nanoda at Bhatwadi, the water level is seen rising every year during the monsoon. The PWD will have to work with the WRD,' said Shetye. 'The level of the road has to be raised. Water enters houses, and last year the situation was very bad. From Kuchirem to Bicholim, the river needs to be desilted.' He also said that the WRD needs to protect its command area of dams. 'A definite plan is needed for the command area. In Krishnanagar in Bicholim, someone made plots in the command area and sold the plots, and people built their houses and later learned that it was in the command area,' said Shetye. He said, 'These houses need to be regularised based on a cut-off date and we need to keep a watch on anyone else doing this.' Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
K'taka says no to joint inspection of Mhadei site again
Panaji/Keri: At the fourth meeting of the Progressive River Authority for Welfare & Harmony (Prawah) held on Tuesday, Karnataka again opposed Goa's demand for a joint inspection of the Mhadei basin and water diversion projects taken up by Karnataka. At the meeting, the Prawah gave its nod for the Virdi project of Maharashtra. Goa agreed to the project. Goa's stand was that the return flow of water after irrigation will flow back to Goa and supplement the water availability in Valvont river, facilitating the functioning of drinking water plants in the area in Goa. 'We asked that a joint inspection be carried out of the Mhadei basin by all the states concerned. Karnataka had opposed it earlier and opposed it on Tuesday as well,' said Goa's minister for water resources Subhash Shirodkar. 'Their stand was that the matter is sub judice. The Prawah also felt the matter is in the Supreme Court.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo He added, 'We have pressed for our demand that the joint inspection take place.' He said Karnataka is opposing the joint inspection because it is in the wrong. 'The one who is afraid and has made a mistake is opposing the joint inspection. We are in the right, so favour the inspection,' he said. 'Let us see what the Prawah council says or else we will have to take it up before the Supreme Court.' The Prawah meeting was held at Vikas Souda, Bengaluru. At the meeting, Goa was represented by S S Gill, the secretary for water resources, a member of the Prawah, along with Goa WRD chief engineer Pramod Badami, and the superintending engineer of the Mhadei cell, Dilip Naik. The Prawah has deferred the decision on the joint inspection. 'We cannot say that the present provision made for water is sufficient and that we do not need to increase our water storage further,' said Shirodkar on the Virdi project. 'We need to keep enhancing water storage.'
