Goa is blessed by the
eleven rivers. Among these eleven rivers Mandovi is the biggest river of Goa.
Though it is not as big as the river Ganga which has the length of about 2525
km. or as the Cauvery, one of the major rivers of the Southern India with 760
km. length; the river Mandovi has the length of 111 km. However it is the only
river which drains the area of about 1580 sq. km. out of 3702 sq. km. total
geographical area of Goa and provides the maximum quantity of fresh water. It
is indeed a river that supports life and above all, makes life possible for all
living things by supplying with fresh water. It is the artery of the watershed,
which supplies the nutrients necessary for the body to survive. The river when
it flows in its natural course, benefits all irrespective of caste, creed and
colour, wealth or poverty; but as soon as it is dammed it loses socialistic
character.
Karnataka since last
three decades is very keen to build dams on the various tributaries of the
river Mhadei originating from Karnataka, some times for generating
hydroelectricity or making use of the water for irrigation purpose. However, on
October 2, 2006, Karnataka Government repeatedly making the claims of drinking
water paucity for Hubli and Dharwad, has unilaterally gone ahead by excavating
canals at Kankumbi for Kalasa- Bhandura Projects which aim to divert 7.56 TMC
feet of water in the Malaprabha basin. Government of Goa has already raised
strong objection to all the proposals of damming and diverting tributaries of
Mhadei on economical, ecological and environmental ground and especially from
the point of view of tiny state’s water security and ecological security. When
all the attempts to arrive amicable solution proved futile and Karnataka became
adamant to go ahead with the plans, Goa had approached the Supreme Court of
India for justice however, as per the directives from Hon. Supreme Court by notification
dated 16/11/2010 under section 4 of the Inter State River Disputes Act, 1956,
the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal has been constituted and conducting
hearing of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Karnataka has the
grand plan to divert a total of 225 MCM from Mhadei to Malaprabha basin and
additional 112 MCM from Khandepar River which is popular for the scenic
Dudhsagar waterfall to Supa reservoir in Kali basin. Thus, the thirst for water
of Karnataka cannot be quenched with Kalasa – Bandhra project, but will be
increased gradually.
The Mandovi river
basin in Goa occupies 43 % of State’s geographical area with 192 villages of
Sattari, Sanguem, Bicholim, Tiswadi, Bardez and Ponda with cultivable land to
an extent of 91072 ha. The Mhadei along with others is the most important
tributaries of the Mandovi which originate in Degao near Khanapur. At Nerse
village where Singer, Pat and Bandhura three main tributaries join together,
Karnataka has proposed an earthen dam for which 244 ha. of forest land will be
submerged due to the reservoir and the diversion channel also will involve the
non- forest use of 16 ha. of forest land. As per the observations made by the
DCF, Karnataka the proposed dam site of Bhandura is located among the most
luxurious and scenic moist, deciduous and semi evergreen patches of forest
frequented by wildlife. The proposed Bhandura dam is not even 500 mts away from
the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary notified in 2012. The Bhandura nalla is one of
the perennial streams which joins the Mhadei at Kongla and then enter Goa via
Gavali- Krishnapur at Bondir along with the Panshira of Mendil. Near Dhave-
Uste, the Kalasa stream which joins the Mhadei. At Dhave –Uste, Sonal on the
banks of Mhadei locals still practice the traditional silt based cultivation
called ‘puran sheti’ which is believed to give three times more yield than
other types of agriculture.
Karnataka has a
proposal of building Kalasa dam at Kambar Ves on the Chorla ghat - Belgaum road
near Kankumbi which is not even 231.27 mts away from the Mhadei Wildlife
Sanctuary of Goa. The proposed Kalsa dam has the height of 32.6 m. and length
of 340 m. Another dam is planned on the Haltara nalla at Chorla which has the
height of 33.6 m. and length of 200 m. From the Haltara, water will be brought
to Kalsa reservoir through the open cut channel of 1180 m. length and from the
Kalasa water will be taken to Malprabha by excavating open cut tunnel of 2550
m. and channel of 1740 m. A total 178.43 ha of reserved forest in Kankumbi,
14.58 ha of reserved forest in Parwad and 64.73 ha in Koda is proposed for
diversion. It is therefore clear that forestland is an integral part of these
projects and is required not only for the construction of the dam and the
resultant submergence area but also for the diversion channels.
As per the guidelines
issued under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, it has been decided that if a
project involves forest as well as non –forest land, work should not be started
on the non-forest land till the approval of the Central Government for release
of forest land. Till this date, Karnataka has not received forest clearance
from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Ministry of Water Resources
have not withdrawn the in-principle clearance which was placed in abeyance in
September 2002. Thus two states have so far not concluded any agreement on the
Sharing of Mhadei waters. This is a classical instance of breakdown of
environmental governance and constitutional provisions for the protection of
the environment. The undemocratic and illegal act of diverting 7.56 TMC feet
does not appear as a small quantity of water that cannot disturb the hydrological
budget nor can it affect the ecosystem of a large basin, this is totally
sarcastic.
Karnataka has made it
very clear that they are building the dams and not bundharas. The construction
of bundharas in comparison with the dams is totally different. How one can
designate dam as bundhara, when it involves the submergence of the pristine
forest lands? The length, height of these dams and their capacity to store
water clearly indicate that these projects are not bundharas but the earthen
dams. The water Resource Department of Goa has already built more than a dozen
bundharas on various tributaries of the Mhadei and there exist many lift
irrigation schemes. The water treatment plants at Dabos cater the drinking
water needs of 52 Villages of Sattari whereas the water treatment plants at
Sanquelim and Padoshe furnish potable water for many areas of Bicholim and
Bardez. In April 2002, Goa Government announced that it was considering, a set
of smaller dams to generate a total of 60 MW of Goa’s power needs.
Earlier, Goa
Government was denied permission by the Ministry of Environment and Forest to
build the Mandovi Irrigation Project at Nanoda in Sattari as it was supposed to
destroy 350 ha forests, when Goa spent a total of Rs. 210.96 lakhs on the
construction of colonies and other infrastructure. Presently Karnataka is
marching ahead to meet the same fate under the Forest Conservation Act.
Karnataka’s proposal will cause massive disturbances to the habitat of wildlife
in the Mhadei valley. When dams and developmental activities increased in and
around Dandeli wildlife sanctuary, elephants for these areas have begun to
migrate. Today Tillari and Mhadei valleys are badly affected on account of the
Man-elephant conflict. The elephants and other wild animals are displaced and
disturbed, thereby creating a lot of environmental problems.
The report of the
high level committee to suggest appropriate water management strategies for
Karnataka state irrigation projects, March 1999 has highlighted Karnataka’s
mismanagement of its water resources. Farmers in Karnataka are raising crops
according to their wishes, violating the prescribed cropping pattern, due to
which it has become difficult to distribute water equitably to all parts of the
command area. Adding to the water shortage are the leakages in the pipeline
supplying water to Hubli-Dharwad town. Apprehending problems if the diversion
project is linked to irrigation demand, Karnataka has invoked the need of
supply of drinking water taking the benefit of top priority given in India’s
National Water Policy. After completing work of Kalasa project, Karnataka will
undertake the work of damming and diversion of Haltara, Bhandura, Kotni, Bail,
Irti, Maruduhawl, Pansheer, Andher and Mhadei Tail race dam.
Considering the
projected water needs of Goa till 2050 A.D., it has been established by the
committee of experts that Mhadei is a water deficit basin and hence no scope
exists for water diversion. The Goans are very much concerned that any
diversion of water from the upper catchments of Mhadei would severely impact
the downstream ecology particularly by changes in the salinity regime, the
decrease in sediment load and the consequent impacts on the estuarine and
mangrove ecosystems. The controversial project site is home to natural forests,
unique wildlife and river origins and the biggest catchments for the Mhadei and
Malaprabha rivers.
Maharashtra
Government has also entered in the race of acquiring the fresh water resources
of Mhadei. One of the significant rivulets of Mhadei coming from Virdi village
became the target of Maharashtra’s damming plan. At Virdi just 3 km from the
Anjunem Irrigation Project of Keri – Sattari; Maharashtra has begun the work of
the Irrigation Project in between Temb and Talyachya Vhalacho Dongar area of
Virdi of 736 mts length and 48.375 mts height. Without understanding the actual
situation and signing the memorandum of understanding for the share of water,
Goa Government has given its consent, which is totally ironical and will result
in the big catastrophe.
Allowing Karnataka to
lift water of the Mhadei when the matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water
Dispute Tribunal, will prove detrimental for water security, ecology and
environment of Goa.
To fulfil need of
drinking water, Karnataka near Hubli has Benihalli, a tributary of the river
Malaprabha with the catchment area of 5048 sq.Km. and 138Kms. length. This
water is hardly used to the extent of 1.5TMC and Karnataka has almost 22 rivers
in Belgaum unutilised.
Even when case was
being argued, Karnataka had drawn plans for diversion of Dudhsagar water by
envisaging 4 dams on the upstream of Khandepar river namely Katla, Palna,
Diggi-Mara and Diggi- Bondeli to divert water to Supa reservoir.
Both Maharashtra and
Karnataka has aimed to decimate upper reaches of resource rich western ghat, a
global hotspot that is the part of the World Heritage Site of the UNESCO by
mismanaging of the available water resources, the unsustainable irrigation and
encouraging water guzzling crop selection model.
No neighboring states
can divert the natural flow of the rivers that are flowing in the direction of
wildlife sanctuary without obtaining permissions from the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate change and also from National Board of
Wildlife of India.
The stand taken by
Goa’s Chief Minister in December 2017 that in principle Goa would not oppose
reasonable and justified quantum of drinking water to Karnataka from the Mhadei
river on humanitarian ground is indeed unrealistic and will prove harmful for
the state of Goa’s claims put before the tribunal.
If the letter of
Goa’s CM mentions to cater the drinking water need then why the political
leaders in Karnataka claiming a political victory in front of the farmers came
from North Karnataka who is persistently insisting for utilization of water for
meeting irrigational needs.
The diversion of
fresh water in flow from the upstream region may change the transport of
sediments into an estuary and coast, and this may lead to erosion of banks and
shoals. The two-layer circulation of water within the estuary may be weakened
and reduce the inflows of offshore bottom water in absence of sufficient fresh
water inflow.
The delicate balance
of salt water intrusion coupled with fresh water flow is the elixir of the
sustenance of the mangrove forests and in the event Maharashtra and Karnataka
are allowed to divert or reduce the flow of water in the Mhadei river and its
tributaries the same will result in causing extinction of the wide mangrove
forests thereby creating environmental havoc. The destruction of mangrove
forests will result in massive soil erosion along the river banks endangering
various towns and villages.
Many fish varieties
migrate from sea water to fresh water and vice-a-versa. In the event, this
fragile and unique ecosystem is destroyed on altered; there will be a cascading
effect on the migratory species that thrive therein. Due to diversion of river
water, rich beds of clams, bivalves and oysters may lose a rich diversity of
the filter feeding species as well as the fertile beds of lobsters may also be
damaged. Any diversion of the waters will have massive repercussions on the
inland fishing activity as well as destroy the endangered and very fine aquatic
eco-system.
The colonial
mentality produced consumer – culture, resulting into felling of forests
causing landslide and nature’s capacity to conserve water. This consumer –
culture led to the erosion of natural sources of livelihood resulting into the
loss of humane – sensitivity which has made the crisis of nature and ecology
more complicated. The new understanding of science is to develop a harmonious
relationship with nature while showing due respect to its dignity. To maintain
the natural balance and equilibrium, it is essential to keep in mind, preservation
of other creatures – like birds, animals, trees, etc.
References:
Alvares, Claude,
2002, Fish, Curry and Rice,A Source Book on Goa: Its Ecology and Life – style.
Deuskar, V. R., May
1999, Master Plan for Madei Mandovi River Basin, Vol.-I.
Kamat, Nandkumar, M,
Articles appeared in daily, The Navhind Times from 1998 to 2006 on Mhadei
issue.
Kerkar, Rajendra, P,
April, 2006, Special Issue on Mhadei.
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