Report not commissioned by state government, says Sawant
Panaji, May 17 – Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asserted that a recent report published by the CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) regarding the Mhadei River will have no bearing on the state’s ongoing case in the Supreme Court.Speaking to reporters in Ponda, Sawant clarified that the Goa government did not request the NIO to conduct any research on the Mhadei River. “If they (CSIR-NIO) have done it, they have done it on their own accord. The government has nothing to do with it,” he said.
The report, authored by three NIO hydrologists and published in the Journal of Earth System Sciences, suggests that Karnataka’s planned diversion of Mhadei water, as sanctioned by the Water Dispute Tribunal, would have a limited impact on Goa. It further claims that any potential effects can be mitigated through specific measures.
However, Chief Minister Sawant dismissed the report’s relevance, stating it will not influence the state’s legal stance. “Such a report will not impact Goa's case before the Supreme Court,” he added.
Public protest erupts over report findings
The report has triggered significant public backlash. On May 15, members of the Mhadei Movement and concerned citizens staged a demonstration outside the NIO complex in Dona Paula. Protesters demanded an explanation for the study and questioned the rationale behind the research.The Mhadei River, a lifeline for Goa, originates in Karnataka, flows through Maharashtra, and enters Goa before emptying into the Arabian Sea near Panaji. Goa has been challenging the Water Dispute Tribunal's verdict that permits Karnataka and Maharashtra to share the river's waters, and has taken the matter to the Supreme Court.
As the legal battle continues, the state government appears firm in its stance, distancing itself from the CSIR-NIO report and reaffirming its commitment to protecting Goa’s water interests.