Goa is blessed by the eleven rivers. Among these eleven rivers Mandovi is the biggest river of Goa. Though it is not as big as the river Ganga which has the length of about 2525 km. or as the Cauvery, one of the major rivers of the Southern India with 760 km. length; the river #Mandovi has the length of just 111 km. However it is the
only river which drains the area of about 1580 sq. km. out of 3701 sq. km of the total geographical area of Goa and provides the maximum quantity of fresh water.
It is indeed a river that supports life and above all, makes life possible for all living things by supplying with fresh water. It is the artery of the watershed, which supplies the nutrients necessary for the body to survive.
The river when it flows in its natural course, benefits all irrespective of caste, creed and colour, wealth or poverty; but as soon as it is dammed it loses socialistic character.
karnataka, since last more than 3 decades, is very keen to build chains of dams on the various tributaries of the river Mhadei originating from Karnataka, some times for generating hydroelectricity or making use of the water for irrigation purpose.
However, since September 2006, #Karnataka Government repeatedly made the claims of drinking water paucity for Hubli and Dharwad, and unilaterally went ahead by excavating the open-cut and the underground canals at Kankumbi for Kalasa- Bhandura Projects which was aiming to divert 7.56 TMC feet of water in the Malaprabha basin.
All the proposals of damming and diverting tributaries of Mhadei are indeed unfavourable for Economy, Wildlife and Environment and especially from the point of view of tiny state’s water security and ecological security.
When all the attempts to arrive amicable solution proved futile and Karnataka became adamant
to go ahead with the plans, Goa had to approach the Supreme Court of India for justice and is awaiting its final verdict.
Karnataka has chalked out the grand plan to divert a total of 225 MCM from Mhadei to Malaprabha basin and additional 112 MCM from Khandepar River which is popular for the scenic Dudhsagar waterfall to Supa reservoir in Kali basin. Thus, the thirst for water of Karnataka cannot be quenched with Kalasa – Bandhra project, but will be increased gradually.
The Mandovi river basin in Goa occupies 43% of State’s geographical area with 192 villages of Sattari, Dharbandora, Bicholim, Tiswadi, Bardez and Ponda with cultivable land to an extent of 91072 ha. The Mhadei along with others is the most important tributaries of the Mandovi which originate in Degao near Khanapur. At Nerse village where Singer, Pat and Bandhura three main tributaries join together, Karnataka had the proposal of an earthen dam for which 244 ha. of forest land would be submerged due to the reservoir and the diversion channel also involve the non- forest use of 16 ha. of forest land.
As per the observations made by the DCF, Karnataka, the proposed dam site of Bhandura is located among the most luxurious and scenic, deciduous and semi evergreen patches of forest frequented by wildlife. The Bhandura nalla is one of the perennial streams which joins the Mhadei at Kongla and then enter Goa via Gavali-
Krishnapur at Bondir along with the Panshira of Mendil, near Dhave- Uste, the Kalasa stream which joins the Mhadei. At Dhave –Uste, Sonal on the banks of Mhadei locals still practice the traditional silt based cultivation called ‘puran sheti’ which is believed to give three times more yield than other types of agriculture.
Karnataka has a proposal of building Kalasa dam at Kambar Ves on the Chorla ghat – Belgaum road near Kankumbi which is not even 1 km away from the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary of Goa.
The old proposal of the Kalsa dam had the height of 32.6 m. and length of 340 m. Another dam was planned on the Haltara nalla at Chorla which had the height of 33.6 m. and length of 200 m. From the Haltara, water, it was planned to bring to the Kalsa reservoir through the open cut channel of 1180 m. length and from the Kalasa water was planned to take to Malprabha by excavating open cut tunnel of 2550 m. and channel of 1740 m. A total 178.43 ha of reserved forest in Kankumbi, 14.58 ha of reserved forest in Parwad and 64.73 ha in Koda was proposed for diversion. It is therefore clear that forestland is an integral part of these projects and is required not only for the construction of the dam and the resultant submergence area but also for the diversion channels.
As per the guidelines issued under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, it has been decided that if a project involves forest as well as non –forest land, work should not be started on the non-forest land till the approval of the Central Government for release of forest land.
Till this date, Karnataka has not received forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Ministry of Water Resources have not withdrawn the in-principle clearance which was placed in abeyance in September 2002. Thus two states have so far not concluded any
agreement on the Sharing of Mhadei waters. This is a classical instance of breakdown of environmental governance and constitutional provisions for the protection of the environment.
Karnataka has made it very clear that they are building the dams and not bundharas (bund/embankment).
The construction of bundharas in comparison with the dams is totally different. How one can designate dam as bundhara, when it involves the submergence of the pristine forest lands? The length, height of these dams and their capacity to store water clearly indicate that these projects are not bundharas but the earthen dams.
The water Resource Department of Goa has already built more than a dozen bundharas on various tributaries of the Mhadei and there exist many lift irrigation schemes. The water treatment plants at Dabos cater the drinking water needs of 52 Villages of Sattari whereas the water treatment plants at Sanquelim and Padoshe furnish potable water for many areas of Bicholim and Bardez. In April 2002, Goa Government announced that it was considering, a set of smaller dams to generate a total of 60 MW of Goa’s power needs.
Earlier, Goa Government was denied permission by the Ministry of Environment and Forest to build the Mandovi Irrigation Project at Nanoda in Sattari as it was supposed to destroy 350 ha forests, when Goa spent a total of Rs. 210.96 lakhs on the construction of colonies and other infrastructure.
Presently Karnataka is marching ahead to meet the same fate under the Forest Conservation Act. Karnataka’s proposal will cause massive disturbances to the habitat of wildlife in the Mhadei valley. When dams and developmental activities increased in and around Dandeli wildlife sanctuary, elephants for these areas have begun to migrate. Today Tillari and Mhadei valleys are badly affected on account of the Man-elephant conflict. The elephants and other wild animals are displaced and disturbed, thereby creating a lot of environmental problems.
The March 1999 report, of the high level committee to suggest appropriate water management strategies for Karnataka state irrigation projects, has highlighted Karnataka’s mismanagement of its water resources. Farmers in Karnataka are raising crops according to their wishes, violating the prescribed cropping pattern, due to which it has become difficult to distribute water equitably to all parts of the command area.Adding to the water
shortage are the leakages in the pipeline supplying water to Hubli-Dharwad town.Apprehending problems if the diversion project is linked to irrigation demand, Karnataka has invoked the need of supply of drinking water taking the benefit of top priority given in India’s National Water Policy. The project cost was also trimmed to bring it below Rs. 1000 million to avoid avoid the mandatory environmental impact assessment and public hearing.
Considering the projected water needs of Goa till 2050 A.D., it has been established by the committee of experts that Mhadei is a water deficit basin and hence no scope exists for water diversion. The Goans are very much concerned that any diversion of water from the upper catchments of Mhadei would severely impact the downstream ecology particularly by changes in the salinity regime, the decrease in sediment load and the consequent impacts on the estuarine and mangrove ecosystems.
The controversial project site is home to natural forests, unique wildlife and river origins and the biggest catchments for the Mhadei and Malaprabha rivers.From 2006, Maharashtra Government has also entered in the race of acquiring the fresh water resources of Mhadei. One of the significant rivulets of Mhadei coming from Virdi village became the target of Maharashtra’s damming plan.
At Virdi just 3 km from the Anjunem Irrigation Project of Keri – Sattari; Maharashtra has completed the work of the Irrigation Project in between Temb and Talyachya Vhalacho Dongar area of Virdi of 600 mts length and 48 mts height, without obtaining any statutory clearances and without understanding the actual situation and signing the memorandum of understanding for the share of water.
Allowing Karnataka to lift water of the Mhadei when the matter is pending before the Hon.Supreme court and the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal, will prove detrimental for water security, ecology and environment of Goa.To fulfil need of drinking water, Karnataka near Hubli has Benihalli, a tributary of the river Malaprabha with the catchment area of 5048 sq.Km. and 138Kms. length. This water is hardly used to the extent of 1.5 TMC and Karnataka has almost 22 rivers in Belgaum unutilised.Even when case was being argued,Karnataka had drawn plans for diversion of Dudhsagar water by envisaging 4 dams on the upstream of Khandepar river namely Katla, Palna, Diggi-Mara and Diggi- Bondeli to divert water to Supa reservoir.
Both Maharashtra and Karnataka has aimed to decimate upper reaches of resource rich Western Ghat, a global hotspot that is the part of the World Heritage Site of the UNESCO by mismanaging of the available water resources, the unsustainable irrigation and encouraging water guzzling crop selection model.
No neighbouring states can divert the natural flow of the rivers that are flowing in the direction of wildlife sanctuary without obtaining permissions from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change and also from National Board of Wildlife of India.
The clarification given by one of the Director Dr. S. Karekatta of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change that the Kalasa-Bhandura is purely a drinking water supply scheme is unrealistic and there is need to apply provisions of EIA Notification 2006 and its subsequent amendments before giving any clarification. The proposed Kalasa-Bhandura project falls within the ecologically sensitive area identified earlier by Karnataka Forests Department and the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel headed by Dr. Madhav Gadgil in their report in 2011 and subsequently the high level working group appointed under the Chairmanship of Dr. Kasturirangan in their report of 2013.
Part of the project area in Nerse for the proposed Bhandura scheme falls within the eco-sensitive zone of Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary. The Union Ministry of Water Resources filed counter affidavit before Hon Supreme Court on 20/11/2006 that Union of India has not withdrawn the abeyance letter dated 19/09/2002 pertaining diversion of 7.56 TMC of water of the Kalasa-Bhandura, nor does it have any intension to do so till the water Disputes relating to Mhadei are either amicably settle amongst the party states or adjucated by the Competent Tribunal.
On 14/08/2018 the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal has permitted Karnataka to divert 3.9 TMC of water through Kalasa-Bhandura project outside the Mhadei basin after obtaining necessary statutory clearances. Karnataka has already filed a separate Special Leave Petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court seeking an enhancement of the allocation of water and matter is pending before the Court for the hearing.The proposed Kalasa dam site is inside the Reserved Forests notified by Karnataka Forests Department and also the dam site is just 231.27 mtr away from the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary of Goa. Also the Kalasa canal site of Karnataka is 3.17 km away from the Mhadei Sanctuary limits. Though it is mandatory for Karnataka to obtain prior environment clearances, wildlife clearance and other permissions, no such permissions/ clearances have been obtained by Karnataka.
Through camera trap techniques already presence of tigers has been proved inside the Mhadei Sanctuary of Goa and also the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka,as well as in the reserve forest of Kankumbi range and Tillari region of Maharashtra.
This region of the Western Ghats has the flag ship species of wildlife like Sloth bears, Leopards, Slender Loris and many more.
The Barapeda cave inside the Bhimgad Sanctuary is only known site for the Wroughton’s free tailed bats (Otomops wroughtoni) which has been classified under the scheduled 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act is near to the proposed Bhandura dam.
Now in the name of the Kalasa-Bhandura drinking water project Karnataka has created condition before the Ministry of MoEFCC that this project does not attracts EIA Notification 2006 and subsequent amendments. But in reality, this project of Karnataka needs approval from the National Board for Wildlife of India and clearance under Forests (Conservation) Act 1980 and approval under EIA Notification of 2006 and it’s subsequent amendments.
The proposal of the Kalasa-Bhandura is on the way of becoming the reality, and this would certainly going to increase salinity by making unpotable water as well as other disastrous effects upon the marine and human life, when the increasing global warming and climate change is affecting the fragile eco-systems of Goa.
Karnataka government has been repeatedly changing the proposals of theKalasa -Bhandura project of damming and diversion and making all possible attempts to make its the reality.
The colonial mentality produced consumer – culture, resulting into felling of forests causing landslide and nature’s capacity to conserve water. This consumer – culture led to the erosion of natural sources of livelihood resulting into the loss of humane – sensitivity which has made the crisis of nature and ecology more complicated. The new understanding of science is to develop a harmonious relationship with nature while showing due respect to its dignity. To maintain the natural balance and equilibrium, it is essential to allow the natural flow of water in the direction of Goa.
Author : Rajendra P. Kerkar
Reference : Alvares, Claude, 2002, Fish, Curry and Rice,A Source Book on Goa: Its Ecology and Life – style.Deuskar, V. R., May 1999, Master Plan for Madei Mandovi River Basin, Vol.-I.Kamat, Nandkumar, M, Articles appeared in daily, The Navhind Times from 1998 to 2006 on Mhadei issue.Kerkar, Rajendra, P, April, 2006, Special Issue on Mhadei.
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