Mahadayi row: Let Parrikar clarify his stand says Venugopal

AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal on Friday said Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should first clarify his stand on releasing Mahadayi water to Karnataka.

"Following which, the Goa Congress will also take an appropriate stand," Venugopal added.

"First, Parrikar should have written to the Karnataka chief minister. Why did he write to Yeddyurappa? Let him first adopt a clear stand. Then, the Goa Congress will also take an appropriate stand," Venugopal told reporters in Bengaluru.

 Why the stand-off?

Parrikar has written to Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa expressing willingness to release "reasonable and justified" quantum of water to drought-hit north Karnataka.

And the Goa Congress has opposed Parrikar's stance on sharing Mahadayi waters with Karnataka.

Farmer leaders say Parrikar's letter to Yeddyurappa is of little value.   Congress and BJP are still trading barbs.

As an interim measure, Karnataka has sought release of 7.56 TMC to parts of north Karnataka to meet drinking water needs.

Venugopal also hit out at BJP leaders for "needlessly" staging a protest before the Congress headquarters on December 27 in Bengaluru.

"The very fact that Parrikar wrote to Yeddyurappa shows that the BJP has no intention of releasing water," Venugopal opined.  

The dispute  

The three-decade-old Mahadayi river dispute involves Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.

Karnataka has demanded diverting some share of the Mahadayi river water from its tributaries Kalasa and Banduri to the drought-hit districts of north Karnataka.