The Maharashtra government on Wednesday approved a plan to set up a special cell to put forth its case effectively before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal which is adjudicating the dispute over River Mhadei water allocation. "The state cabinet, at a meeting here, approved an expenditure of Rs 8.31 crore to creating a special cell to put forth the state government's stance effectively before the tribunal," an official said. The cabinet also approved a plan which takes into account 75 per cent dependability for use of 180 million cubic meter water of the Mhadei catchment area.
The river, which is also called Mandovi, originates in Karnataka, but 80 per cent of its water flows through Maharashtra and Goa before joining the Arabian Sea. Goa covers 1,580 sq km of the catchment area of Mhadei basin while Karnataka covers 375 sq km and Maharashtra covers 76 sq km of the catchment area.