Mahadayi River Row

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said there will no be compromise on the Mahadayi issue and that his government was working to protect the river water from being diverted. Goa and neighbouring Karnataka have been engaged in a tussle over sharing of the river water for several years. Goa has often accused Karnataka of proceeding unilaterally in the matter by ignoring pacts. Opposition parties in Goa on Saturday sought the resignation of CM Sawant over the comment of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Mahadayi river water dispute between Karnataka and Goa had been resolved. Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Sawant said Goa has a strong legal standing in the Supreme Court on the issue. "There will be no compromise on it and the government has been working to protect the Mahadayi river water from being diverted," he said. Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Jana Sankalp Yatre' in Belagavi in Karnataka on Saturday, Union minister Amit Shah had said, "I want to te

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said the coastal state will win the battle for the Mahadayi river water as his government is making efforts on legal, technical and political fronts and leaving no stone unturned. Goa and Karnataka are at loggerheads over diversion of the Mahadayi water through the construction of dams by Karnataka on the river's tributaries Kalasa and Banduri. The Central Water Commission recently approved a detailed project report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka for the construction of the two dams, to which the Goa government has objected. The Goa government has contended that Karnataka cannot divert water from the Mahadayi river, as it passes through the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located downstream in North Goa. Whoever may say anything, we are firm on our decision. Whatever we have to do for Mahadayi, we are doing it legally, technically and politically. We will do whatever is required and we are confident that we will win the battle," Sawant said

Opposition members tried to disrupt Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai's address to the Goa Assembly on the first day of its winter session, demanding a statement from him on the Mahadayi river

Earlier on Monday, Sawant had asked people to have patience on the state's dispute with neighbouring Karnataka over the sharing of Mahadayi river waters

The Goa government has set up a four-member committee to monitor any possible activity in Maharashtra or Karnataka to divert the river water

Senior Counsel Atmaram Nadkarni said that the Goa government is open for discussion on providing 0.1 TMC drinking water to Karnataka

Pro-Kannada organisations, including the Kannada film industry, backed the bandh