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--- Philip Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> In today's HERALD there is a longish article by J.C.Almeida titled "Slow
> demise of the Madei River". He believes that the "issue will have serious
> implications on the environment of Goa". He concludes "Few years from now we
> may see the Mandovi river dried up." What is the correct position? Anyone
> knows? Cheers.
Philip,
As a general rule of thumb I do not trust big business, the govt., powerful
lobbies and
institutions. So anything they say and write (including through their
newspapers and media) I take
with a grain of salt. Not that NGOs and activists are 100% trustworthy, but I
find they are
generally (not always) more reliable. Below is what one activist in Goa, Eric
Pinto (not a
relative) wrote.
Regards,
George
*****************************
GOA NGO to internationalize the Mhadei issue
A startling fact came to light in June this year when Paul Fernandes a Goa
journalist met
Shrihari Kugaji, a nature lover and member of a Belgaum NGO. The River
Malprabha was drying up due
to scanty rainfall in its catchment area. Areas which received Cherapunjee
like rainfall are
finding the rains sparse and locals are worried.
High up in the hills bordering Goa's north east coast is prized biodiverse
forest land. This
700 sq km area is the birthplace of rivers that drain Karnataka, Goa and
Maharashtra among
them, the east flowing Malprabha originating near Belgaum, and the West
flowing Mahadayi, Tillari
and Kali, a little east of Khanapur. The Malprabha has seen its flow
considerably reduced due to
deficient rainfall in its catchment areas since 2000 when mining and
deforestation started. Is
that perhaps why Karnataka wants to divert the Mahadeyi waters to meet the
demands of clamouring
farmers in the downstream basin of the Malprabha? And in a hurry?
The damming and diversion of the Mahadayi river in Karnataka, has been
pending since two
decades. But on 22nd September this year, Karnataka unilaterally inaugurated
the project that Goa
had been opposing. Goa's argument is that the Mahadayi (Mhadei in Goa), is a
major tributary of
Goa's Mandovi river and damming its upper reaches will cut off a major portion
of its water
reducing it to a trickle. This will have major impacts on flora, fauna and
communities living on
the banks of the river. On 26th September Goa petitioned the Supreme Court
asking for a stay on
the project and a separate tribunal to decide the issue.
Since 1972, Karnataka has projected damming the Kalasa and Bandura
tributaries of the Mahadayi
to use 7.56 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water purportly for the water
needs of Hubli and
Dharwad towns. But as Mr S.D Sayanak, (Goa's consultant engineer for the Mhadei
issue) points out,
the Kali runs closer to those towns and it would be more feasible to utilize
water from that
river.
In September 1997, when this issue came up, concerned Goans like Rajendra
Kerkar and Nirmala
Sawant then congress leader, founded the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA). Since
then this NGO has been
spearheading the movement against Karnataka's proposals to dam the Mhadei in
places within its
borders. Faced with what appears a fait accompli with Karnataka starting and
continuing bulldozing
operations in the dam area, and the little clout Goa has at the Center, MBA has
decided to
internationalize the issue.
A six page appeal lists the fears and perils of the project. "The grand
plan is to divert 225
MCM (million cubic metres) water draining into Goa." 113 MCM from Mhadei into
Malprabha and 112
from Dudhsagar into Supa reservoir. "This is a serious legal and
constitutional matter,." it
says, unilateral interbasin transfer of water from interstate basins is
unconstitutional, adding
that "about 557.28 hectares of forest and cultivated land " will be submerged.
This forest is
"one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world, and a significant fraction
of the remaining
4.5% of the natural forests left in the country." The dams will cause massive
deforestation, loss
of precious biodiversity,reduced rainfall and a dying river as has happened in
the Malprabha
basin.
"The Mahadayi/Madei/Mandovi drains a total of 2032 sq km of which initial
375 sq km in East
and North east and South east in Karnataka, 77 sq km in North East of the basin
in Maharashtra and
the balance 1580 sq km in Goa. The basin receives 3000 5000 mm rainfall
during the monsoon
periods extending from June to November." It expresses concerns that "any
diversion of water from
the upper catchment of the Mahadayi/Mandovi by Karnataka would severely impact
the downstream
ecology particularly by change in the salinity regime, the decrease in sediment
load and the
consequent impacts on the estuarine and mangrove ecosystems."
Another concern is that dams and other activities in the forests are
driving wild animals
away from their habitats into human settlements leading to unnecessary man
animal conflicts.
Deforestation in Dandeli has already driven wild elephants away and into Goa.
Wroughton's
Freeetailed Bat the only species left on earth live in caves in these forests.
It will lose its
habitat and become extinct if the dam plan goes ahead.
The MBA document petitions the international community to look at
Karnataka's dam projects on
the Mahadayi in the light of recommendations made by the World Commission on
Dams (WCD) in 2000
and asks it to prevail on the India's Central, and Karnataka state Governments
to revoke the
projects and instead concentrate on "sustainable and judicious water resources
management." It
cautions foreign donors against funding, consultancy, manpower and machinery
grants that might be
used towards the project. Finally it wants this watershed region to remain
pristine and declared
the Bhimgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
by Eric Pinto
