'Will strive to get SC stay on Mahadayi vacated'

Water Resources Minister D K Shivkumar said on Wednesday that the government would strive to get the stay by the Supreme Court vacated, for taking up works of the Kalasa-Banduri project for diversion of Mahadayi water to Malaprabha basin.

Speaking to mediapersons after visiting the Kalasa dam site, Shivakumar said the order of the Mahadayi water disputes tribunal had come as an injustice to the state.

The chief minister had discussed the matter with legal experts and the technical team and had decided to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. The tribunal had assessed that there was 188 tmc ft of water in the Mahadayi basin as against the state’s argument that there was 199 tmc ft in the basin.

The state had been allocated 13.5 tmc ft, including 8 tmc ft for power generation. The government was committed to get the rest of its share as 140 tmc ft was draining into the sea. This water could be allocated between the stakeholder states, Shivakumar said.

The state had hitherto spent Rs 250 crore on the project and Rs 50 lakh was needed to carry out the survey of the Bandura Nala project.

The government was ready to spend any amount of money towards the project and would even hold up other projects, he stated. Shivakumar said 731 hectares of forest land would get inaundated on implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project. This apart, 192 hectares of private land would be acquired. The minister said the state would handle environmental objections raised by Goa.

“We too are environment friendly and there need not be any apprehensions over it. Ahead of the tribunal order being published in the central gazette, an all-party meet will be convened,” he said.