Tribunal refuses to halt Kalasa-Banduri project

The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal on Thursday refused to stop the Kalasa-Banduri Project and directed Karnataka to plug the vents to prevent automatic flow of flood water from Mahadayi to Malaprabha.

In its interim order, the trib­u­nal headed by former Supreme Court judge J M Panchal directed Karnataka to plug both the vents of the cut and cover section of the reach within Mahadayi basin of the inter-connecting canal with a brick masonry embankment before May 31 to ensure that water from Mahadayi basin is not automatically diverted to Malaprabha basin through the inter-connecting canal, partly constructed by Karnataka.

Rejecting the Goa government’s plea to demolish the Kalasa-Banduri canal, the tribunal directed Karnataka to fill up the excavation made along the ridge line (the line separating the Mahadayi and Malaprabha basins) for the purpose of construction of canal.

It said the ridge line should be restored as it existed prior to the construction of the inter-connecting canal before May 31, 2014.

While accepting Karnataka’s promise that water under the pr­oject will not be utilised or diverted till the disputes betw­e­en the three states (Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra) are finally adjudicated, the tribunal directed Karnataka to comp­l­ete the work of building cross drainage for the existing ro­a­ds/state highways to avoid likely flooding before May 31, 2014.