'Goa won't succumb to Karnataka's tactics over Mhadei river'

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said his government will not succumb to the "pressure tactics" of Karnataka over Mhadei river water dispute.
"Karnataka is trying all possible tactics to keep Goa government engaged in discussions so that they can have their way through in constructing dams (on the river)," Parsekar said here.
He was speaking during a session on "Mhadei River dispute: implications for Goa" organised by the International Centre Goa here.
Parsekar said the delegations from Karnataka, including farmers, lawyers, politicians and others have been meeting him trying to keep him engaged in the discussion.
"Karnataka Chief Minister also wants to meet me over the issue. But our stand is clear. We will not budge," Parsekar said.

Goa and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over diversion of Mhadei river. Karnataka has planned 12 dams across the river. The dispute is being heard by the central government-appointed Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT).

Parsekar said Goa government has no problem if Karnataka wants to use its water within the basin. "But they want to divert the water to another basin, that is Malaprabha basin, which we will not allow. If you divert water within the basin then the ground-level water table is rejuvenated," he said.
According to him, 56 per cent people in Goa reside in Mhadei river basin, which makes this issue more crucial.

Parsekar appealed to all political parties to be together on the issue irrespective of the political differences.
State Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar said the issue, which remained neglected earlier, got the impetus in 2012 (when BJP led government was sworn in Goa).
Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane accused Karnataka
of "bullying" over the issue without giving any respect to the judicial orders, which has asked them to stop the project.
"I was there at the site yesterday. The work on construction of dam is going on in full swing. It looks like Karnataka is hell bent to divert the water from Mhadei basin," Rane said.

He said Karnataka is "notorious" for having water dispute with neighbours. "They have dispute with Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra," he pointed out.
Goa's Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni said Karnataka is the only state, which has water dispute with all its neighbours.
"Karnataka is so much habitual to be in water dispute that it has a separate River Dispute Department and team of 40 lawyers, which comes to represent the state before tribunal," he said.
Nadkarni termed the state as the one with "brazen lawlessness" when it comes to water disputes. "Anything is possible when it comes to Karnataka," he commented.