Mahadayi: Karnataka CM to hold all-party meet today

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has convened an all-party meeting today evening to discuss the way forward in the Mahadayi river water dispute.

The State government has already moved Supreme Court against the final award of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal limited allocation of water to Karnataka at 5.40 tmc while allowing surplus water to flow into the sea.

The Tribunal came out with its final award on August 14, 2018, granting 1.33 tmc to Maharashtra and 24 tmc to Goa, with the rest flowing into sea. This “resulted in grave miscarriage of justice,” Karnataka has contended.

Karnataka has claimed its share of the Mahadayi river and wants to use it to meet drinking water requirements in North Karnataka.

Infographic:

The final award of the Mahadayi tribunal

State	Allocation (tmcft)	Claim (tmcft)
Karnataka	13.42	36.55
Goa	24	122.60
Maharashtra	1.33	6.35

Total water availability in Mahadayi basin - 188 tmcft

Total water allocated to the 3 states - 38.75 tmcft

Basis for water allocation: 75% dependability

How is the water allocated to Karnataka?

* 1.5 tmcft for Mahadayi basin consumption.

* 2.18 tmcft allowed to be diverted at Bandura dam.

* 1.72 tmcft allowed to divert at Kasala dam.

* Karnataka can set up a hydropower project at Kotni to store 8.02 tmcft, which should be used to produce electricity only.

The river...

* Mahadayi originates at Bhimgad in Karnataka’s Belagavi district. It flows 29 km in the state before entering Goa.

* In Goa, Mahadayi is known as Mandovi and flows 54 km before joining the Arabian sea.

* Mahadayi river basin drains a 2,032 sqkm area of which 375 sqkm lies in Karnataka, 77 sqkm in Maharashtra and the remaining in Goa.

* Karnataka has proposed Mahadayi-Malaprabha river linking project and the Kalasa-Banduri canal project to meet irrigation and drinking water needs in North Karnataka. This will help fields in the Malaprabha region and the parched areas of Hubballi-Dharwad, Navalgund, Nargund and Badami.

The dispute...

* Goa opposes Karnataka’s plan to divert the river water as it depends on Mahadayi to keep its Zuari river passable till the Mormugao harbour in Panaji.

* In July 2002, Goa made a request under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 for constitution of a tribunal.

* Maharashtra also becomes a party to the dispute since a small portion of the Mahadayi flows through it before joining the Arabian sea.

* Centre notified the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in November 2010.