PANAJI: The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed off a petition filed by the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan after Karnataka assured the court that "no further construction work with respect to the Kalsa Bandura project would be carried out."
Speaking to The Goan, convenor of the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan Nirmala Sawant said that they would await a written copy of the order before deciding the further course of action.
"Karnataka has told the court that there will be no further construction with respect to the project, based on which the case was disposed. That's all we know for the moment," Sawant said.
The judgement was however welcomed by Goa's Water Resources Minister Vinoda Paliencar who accused Karnataka of "playing".
"The Goa government will fight the Mhadei case firmly and we will win the case in the Tribunal too. The Goa government is committed to protect the Mhadei river and Goem Goenkar and Goenkarponn. I would be personally attending the next hearing of the Mhadei tribunal in September," Paliencar said.
The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan led by Nirmala Sawant which alleged that Karnataka has begun and is carrying on with their project on the Kalsa Bhandura project without any permissions from environmental authorities.
The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan in its petition has alleged that the project is continuing without any approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and other related clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
In response, Karnataka through its counsel, Adv Fali Nariman claimed that the project does not require an environmental clearance as the project cost is less than Rs 100 crore.
Earlier, the Supreme Court asked Karnataka to state on record, whether they have applied for environmental clearance and for the MoEF to state whether they have received any application from Karnataka.
Karnataka has also accused the Narmada Bachao Abhiyan of being a front of the Goa government to stop Karnataka's project through a separate appeal before the Supreme Court while the matter was pending before the Mhadei Inter State Water Disputes Tribunal.
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PALIENCAR JUBILANT
* Goa's Water Resources Minister Vinoda Paliencar welcomes SC judgement, accuses Karnataka of "playing"
* The Goa government will fight the Mhadei case firmly and we will win the case in the Tribunal too, he says
* The Goa government is committed to protect the Mhadei river and Goem Goenkar and Goenkarponn, says the minister
* The minsietr says he would be personally attending the next hearing of the Mhadei tribunal in September
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KARNA'S ASSURANCE
No further construction work with respect to the Kalsa Bandura project would be carried out
REACTION OF MBA
Will await a written copy of the order before deciding the further course of action
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