Skip to main content

Report probes ecological risks in Karnataka’s proposed Mahadayi river diversion project

By Jag Jivan   
A detailed independent study titled “Bhandura Nala (Mahadayi Diversion)”, prepared by a group of committed environmentalists from Karnataka and Goa, has strongly questioned the ecological and social viability of Karnataka government’s ambitious plan to divert water from the Mahadayi river basin (locally known as Mhadei in Goa) through the Bhandura Nala tunnel project.
The report, which has been widely circulated among civil society organisations and policymakers, warns of irreversible damage to the fragile Western Ghats ecosystem and raises the spectre of large-scale desertification in the region if such high-impact linear projects are allowed without rigorous scrutiny.
Renowned power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma, while forwarding the report to concerned citizens and organisations, described it as “a comprehensive and credible critique of the project proposal” that also discusses multiple viable alternatives to meet Karnataka’s stated water needs without resorting to ecologically destructive diversion.
In his strongly worded appeal, Sharma stated:
“This analysis provides a credible set of points to seriously ponder over for the entire society in view of the potential threats, such as desertification of the lands in and around the Western Ghats.”
He further highlighted the broader implications for peninsular India, noting that the Western Ghats are officially recognised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EF&CC) as “the water fountain of peninsular India”, being the origin of 37 east-flowing rivers and 3 major west-flowing rivers.
The Mahadayi diversion has remained a flashpoint between Karnataka and Goa for over two decades, with Goa consistently opposing any diversion on the grounds that it would devastate the biodiversity-rich Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and downstream ecosystems. The new independent report strengthens Goa’s position by documenting technical flaws, inadequate environmental impact assessments, and feasible non-diversion alternatives that Karnataka has allegedly ignored.
Sharma warned that the Bhandura Nala project is only one among nearly 50 high-impact linear projects already identified in Karnataka alone that cut through the Western Ghats, with dozens more planned or under implementation in Maharashtra, Kerala, and Goa. He termed the cumulative assault a “very serious issue for the entire peninsular India” and urged civil society organisations (CSOs) across the region to break their silence.
“The people of peninsular India, especially the concerned CSOs, cannot afford to be indifferent/silent on this specific project as well as other high impact project proposals in the Western Ghats,” Sharma wrote.  
“Let us do all that is feasible to effectively address the associated threats/costs to the larger society.”
Environmentalists associated with the report argue that diversion projects in the Western Ghats not only threaten endemic flora and fauna but also jeopardise the hydrological stability of the entire peninsula by disrupting the delicate rainfall catchment and recharge functions of this global biodiversity hotspot.
As the decades-old Mahadayi water dispute awaits final adjudication before the Supreme Court-appointed tribunal, the release of this independent technical critique is likely to intensify public and legal scrutiny of Karnataka’s diversion plans and reignite demands for a cumulative impact assessment of all linear projects in the Western Ghats.

Comments

Post a Comment

NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor

TRENDING

The farmer's burden: How oil, war, and climate are rewriting the price of food

By Vikas Meshram   The scorching flames of the Middle East conflict are now slowly reaching the kitchens of ordinary people. The true price of this war is paid in daily markets, vegetable shops, and in the shattered minds of farmers. Expensive crude oil, skyrocketing fertilizer prices, and rising agricultural costs are together creating the conditions for global food inflation — and this crisis is directly tied to what people eat and drink every day.
Post a Comment
»

Economic nationalism under strain as Indian corporates turn to America

By Sandeep Pandey*  U.S. federal prosecutors withdrew a criminal case involving allegations that Gautam Adani had bribed officials in India to secure solar energy projects, stating that they lacked sufficient evidence. Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani also settled a civil fraud case with the Securities and Exchange Commission by paying a fine of around ₹180 crore without admitting wrongdoing. In addition, Adani Enterprises reportedly deposited around ₹2,750 crore into the U.S. Treasury to resolve allegations that it had violated U.S. sanctions on Iran through purchases of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). 
Post a Comment
»

India’s heatwave crisis: How concrete cities are fueling climate emergency

By Rajkumar Sinha*  According to recent studies, urban areas are witnessing a much sharper rise in temperatures than rural regions. The planet is currently heading toward an additional 1.9°C of warming — far beyond the target envisioned under the Paris Agreement . A team of climate scientists associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted that India’s average temperature increased by nearly 0.9°C during the decade between 2015 and 2024 compared to the early twentieth century (1901–1930). In western and northeastern India, the hottest day of the year has already become 1.5°C to 2°C warmer since the 1950s.
Post a Comment
»