SC notice to K'taka on Mahadayi river water dispute

New Delhi, Aug 3: The Supreme Court today issued notice to the state of Karnataka on a petition seeking directions to restrain the state government from going ahead with the construction of dam on river Mahadayi orginating from Karnataka.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S H Kapadia issued notices on a petition filed by Mahadayi Bachao Abhiyan, Goa, which contended before the court that the state of Karnataka was involved in illegal construction on Kalsa-Bandura diversion project in ecologically sensitive area in the western ghats of Mahadayi basin.

The petitioner association has also contended that no permission has been taken under the Forest Conservation Act 1986 from the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment and the construction of this project will lead to large scale deforestation in the reserved forest area which will disturb the ecological balance and shall damage the environment also.

Mahadayi river is the only source of water for the natives of Goa, while the state of Karnataka has many other rivers flowing through it.

UNI