After Mekedatu, Cong to take up padayatra on Mahadayi

Belagavi: The Karnataka Congress which organised Mekedatu padayatra before suspending it following High Court rap and public outrage for violating Covid rules, is all set to launch another movement demanding implementation of the Mahadayi project.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee executive president Sathish Jarakiholi made an announcement in this regard on Tuesday in Belagavi district.

The neighbouring State of Goa is objecting to the implementation of the project.

"We are discussing the implementation of the Mahadayi project in the platforms of the party. Once the Covid pandemic subsides, a foot march demanding implementation of Mahadayi project would be taken up," he said.

The padayatra would be taken up from the Nargund in Gadag district to the birth place of Mahadayi River near Kankumbi in Belagavi district.

The blueprint for the padayatra would be ready soon. Padayatra's demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project was a success. The march has successfully got the attention of the government on the issue, he said. The sharing of the waters of the river Mahadayi is a cause of disputes between Karnataka and Goa. The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) is a tribunal which adjudicates the dispute over River Mahadayi water allocation.

The Karnataka government proposes to divert some water from the Mahadayi River to the Malaprabha River basin as part of the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

In August 2018, Mahadayi Water Tribunal verdict permitted Goa to use 24 tmcft (excluding the 9.395 tmcft prevailing uses), Karnataka to use 5.4 tmcft (including 3.9 tmcft for export outside the basin) and Maharashtra to use 1.33 tmcft for consumptive purposes.

Karnataka approached the Supreme Court alleging injustice in allocation of water to the State. Central government issued a gazette notification on February 27, 2020, permitting the Karnataka state to draw 13.42 tmcft of water from the Mahadayi River out of which 8 tmcft is for power generation.