Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department, N Manjunath Prasad, emphasized that the Kalasa-Banduri project would provide drinking water to lakhs of residents in North Karnataka.
Raising objections to the hurdles posed by the Goa Government, Karnataka urged the Centre to approve the project without delay, pointing out that the Supreme Court has yet to issue a stay on the matter.
The issue of diverting water under the Kalasa-Banduri project in Kankumbi was discussed during the 80th standing committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW) in New Delhi on October 9.
One of the main topics was Karnataka’s proposal to use 10.68 hectares of forest land from the tiger corridor between the Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserves. This land is needed for the construction of a diversion weir, a jack well-cum-pumphouse, an electrical substation, a pipeline, and a powerline as part of the Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme in Khanapur taluk.
After hearing Karnataka’s request, the NBW standing committee instructed the state’s representatives to submit all relevant project documents, stating that a decision would be made soon.
Manjunath Prasad noted that nine months had passed since the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) expert committee approved the project, and urged the Centre to quickly grant the required forest and wildlife permissions.
The Forest Ministry had earlier asked Karnataka to seek NBW approval because 10.68 hectares of the project area fall within a tiger corridor. Karnataka submitted its proposal, after which the NTCA visited the project site. The NTCA report is yet to be submitted to the NBW.
Officials reminded the committee that in 2018, the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) had allocated the river’s water to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa. In 2020, the Supreme Court allowed the Central Water Commission to approve the revised project report. The Commission gave its approval in December 2022, and Karnataka then sought forest clearance from the Centre under the Forest Protection Act.
Officials stated there were no central barriers to greenlighting the project, though Goa’s Principal Conservator of Forests had issued a notice under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, warning Karnataka to proceed with Goa’s consent.
Karnataka later filed a petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that Goa lacked the authority to issue such notices.
Forest, Environment, and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre expressed confidence that the NBW would soon approve the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project. Speaking about the October 9 meeting in Delhi, Khandre said Union Forest Ministers and top officials were in attendance.
Khandre added that while the Goa government opposed the river diversion, the Mahadayi River Water Disputes Tribunal had already permitted the diversion of 3.9 tmcft for the project in 2018, and this decision was reiterated to the Union Government during the meeting.
