The battle over Mhadei river, known as Madovi in Goa, will soon reach the Supreme Court with the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) planning to file a contempt petition against the Karnataka Government. The MBA claims that with Karnataka re-starting work on Kalsa-Bhandura project, Mhadei’s course will be changed and this will lead to an adverse impact on North Goa’s eco-diversity.

MBA’s convenor Nirmala Sawant alleged that the Karnataka government has violated its own affidavit filed before the apex court that it will not re-start the work on the diversion until a judicial decision is reached on the issue.

Karnataka plans to construct seven dams and three hydroelectric projects by diverting Mhadei.

According to MBA, the diversion can damage 750 sq km of forest cover, 25 per cent of which lies in Goa. Goa government has objected to the diversion of water from Mhadei basin to Malprabha River, which is part of the Krishna basin. Mhadei, which arises from Karnataka, after traversing 33 kilometres in that state flows into Goa as Mandovi for 82 kilometres before pouring out into the Arabian sea.

The Karnataka government in 1992 obtained temporary permission from the Central Water Commission to divert 7.5 TMC of water from the river to Malaprabha reservoir. The said permission was kept in abeyance in July 2002 after protests in Goa. The Goa Government had requested the setting up of a tribunal under the Interstate Water Dispute Act 1956.