K'taka bypoll results show countrywide BJP wave: Goa CM

Even as an upbeat Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that strong performance by the BJP in the Karnataka bypolls was a sign that there was still a "countrywide wave " in favour of the ruling party, his Opposition reminded him of his promise to get the Union MoEF to withdraw its letter okaying the Kalasa-Banduri water diversion project, which has emerged as a bone of contention between the neighbouring states.

"This victory shows that there is a countrywide wave in favour of the BJP. And after this election too, the BJP will win in a big way," Sawant said in his reaction to the strong performance by Karnataka in the 15 assembly bypolls, in which it appears to be on its way to securing wins in majority of the seats.

The Opposition, however, was quick to remind Sawant that it could be the letter by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests in October this year, which gave a green nod to the Rs. 841 crore water diversion project at Kalasa-Banduri across the Mahadayi river (Mhadei in Goa), which may have tipped the mood in favour of the BJP, at the expense of Goa.

"Now that @moefcc letter dated October 17 has paid off, will we at least now get justice for #Mhadei with above letter getting rescinded? Or will the clearance get further strengthened and confirmed signalling death knell for #Mhadei & #Goa? No more excuses now," Goa Forward party president and Opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai tweeted.

Political parties across the board, including the ruling BJP, have accused the MoEF of playing foul with Goa's interests by giving a go-ahead to the Kalasa-Banduri project, which the state government in a communication to the central ministry has said, would cause "ecological devastation" in Goa.

Upon pressure from social and political outfits here, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the letter issued to the Karnataka government was an oversight and has repeatedly asked for time to take a relook at the issue.

Mahadayi river is considered as a lifeline in the northern parts of the coastal state. It originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa, while briefly flowing through the territory of Maharashtra.

Last year, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal which was hearing a dispute between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, for nearly two decades, over sharing of water from the Mahadayi river, in its award had allotted 13.42 TMC (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka. Maharashtra has been allotted 1.33 TMC.

Both governments have appealed to the Supreme Court against the provisions of the award.