Karnataka to get 5.5 TMC of Mahadayi water share

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal has awarded 5.5 TMC water to Karnataka, including 1.5 tmcft for use within the Mahadayi basin and 4 tmcft for diversion to Malaprabha reservoir in its final recommendation to the Center today. 

The MWDT headed by Justice J M Panchal also permitted Karnataka to produce electricity at Mahadayi hydroelectric project by using 8.02 tmcft of water. This means that a total of 13.5 TMC of water has been allocated to Karnataka.

The tribunal on Tuesday submitted its final recommendation to Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari.

There was a dispute between Goa and Karnataka on diverting the river water. While Karnataka sought the tribunal’s green signal for the Kalasa-Banduri project, arguing that the river must be used for drinking purposes instead of letting it out into the sea, Goa said that it is water-deficient and sharing any water with Karnataka would cause ecological damage to the state.