Mahadayi row: No more letters to Goa, says M B Patil

Now that Goa has brushed off Karnataka’s overtures towards finding an amicable solution to the Mahadayi water sharing dispute, the latter has resolved to seek  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the matter.

Speaking to Asianet Newsable on Tuesday, Karnataka Water Resources Minister M B Patil said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will now start writing to Modi, stressing upon the importance of the Centre’s intervention at this juncture. 

Patil said that Goa, by refusing an out of the court settlement, had left Karnataka with no other option. The Minister also said that Goa Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar’s statement on Karnataka playing “dirty tricks”, was “unwarranted”. 

On July 12, Siddaramaiah wrote to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, asking him to set a date for a meeting of the chief ministers of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. He had mentioned that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to amicably settle the dispute.

However, a day later, Palyekar tweeted an official statement stating that his State was in no mood for a “compromise”. “Karnataka on one hand is asking for out of the court settlement and writing to our chief minister. On the other hand it is playing dirty tricks from behind. Karnataka’s witnesses have been well exposed in the Tribunal (ongoing proceedings) at New Delhi. Our legal team led by ASG Atmaram Nadkarni is doing a wonderful job. Goa is committed towards the Mahadayi case,” reads his statement.

Patil said that Karnataka was not trying to mislead Goa in any manner. “We have done exactly what the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal had suggested. Counsels of all three States had agreed to the proposal of exploring an out of the court settlement. This included Goa’s counsel, Nadkarni as well. Not only was he Goa’s former advocate general, he is currently the Additional Solicitor General of India. It was only after he agreed to this proposal that Karnataka wrote to the Goa chief minister. Where is the question of playing games here? His statement is unwarranted,” he said.

Referring to Goa’s cancellation of a meeting scheduled to be held in Mumbai last October, Patil said that despite the last minute snub, Karnataka had been patiently waiting for a positive outcome. “Karnataka had kept quiet at that time because the Goa Assembly elections were on. We waited patiently. The elections are over and the BJP led government is in power. I had in fact met Palyekar two months ago when he was in Vijayapura to attend a private function. At that time, he had given assurances that Goa would be more proactive,” he said.

However, as Goa continues to play hardball, Karnataka had decided to take a tough stance too, he said.  “We will not write any more letters to Goa. As head of the federal system, the prime minister has to intervene and mediate between the two States. This is Karnataka’s categorical stand. If the prime minister neglects us again, then we will go to the people’s court. People will teach the BJP a lesson -- the party will be wiped out in all the four districts (Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag and Bagalkot),” he said.

Patil also said that if Goa agreed to share the river water, then it would be a win win situation for both States. He said that Karnataka was willing to share power from the proposed Mahadayi hydel power project with Goa, if the neighbouring State signed the agreement. 

Karnataka had sought an interim order from the tribunal asking it to direct Goa to release 7.56 tmc of water from Mahadayi river basin to Malaprabha to meet the drinking water needs of the North Karnataka districts. 

The tribunal had rejected the same on July 27, 2016, and had asked Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra to settle the dispute amicably. Ever since, Karnataka has written around four letters to both States requesting a suitable date to hold the “friendly” talks.
 

• Karnataka
• Goa
• Maharashtra
• Mahadayi