PRAWAH approves Goa govt’s request for joint inspection of Mhadei river basin

Goa Minister Subhash Shirodkar on Friday said the Mhadei Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony (PRAWAH) has accepted the state government’s request for a joint inspection of the Mhadei river basin.

Talking to PTI, Shirodkar said the state government had written to PRAWAH seeking a joint inspection at Kankumbi in Karnataka after media reports claimed that the neighbouring state had started digging canals to divert water to the Malaprabha basin.

Karnataka plans to construct a dam at Kankumbi to divert Mhadei river water into the Malaprabha basin.

The state government received a response from PRAWAH on Wednesday in which the authority has agreed to a joint inspection of the Mhadei basin by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa, the minister said.

The authority has asked the states to provide dates, as per their convenience, for the inspection, he said.

Mhadei originates in Karnataka and runs through Maharashtra into Goa meeting the Arabian Sea near Panaji.

Goa and Karnataka are in a dispute over the diversion of the river water.

Goa has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the order of the inter-state water dispute tribunal for sharing the river water.

The Central government constituted PRAWAH last year to enable the compliance and implementation of the award and decisions of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal.