No proposal for Environmental Clearance pending for Mahadayi: Centre

There is no proposal before the Union government from Karnataka seeking an Environmental Clearance (EC) for diversion of the Mahadayi river for various projects, the Centre recently told the Lok Sabha in reply to a question posed by an MP from Goa.

While this is being interpreted as a setback for the project by sections in Goa, officials in the know in Karnataka argue that EC is not relevant for a drinking water project.

Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in response to a question on EC by Captain Viriato Fernandes, South Goa MP, said that no proposal seeking EC for any river diversion project involving the Mahadayi/Mandovi river is presently under consideration in the Ministry.

Tiger corridor issue

The reply further said that the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has not approved Karnataka’s proposal to use 10.6852 hectares of forest land for the Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme in the tiger corridor between the Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserves.

The Minister said that no proposal or river basin details for conducting a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) and Carrying Capacity Study (CCS) of the Mahadayi/Mandovi basin have been submitted by the State governments concerned.

In his question, the MP had highlighted concerns voiced by civil society groups, scientific institutions, and environmental experts regarding the proposed diversion of the Mahadayi, claiming that it could affect Goa’s drinking water security, lead to potential saline ingress, and impact freshwater aquifers across the river basin.

Addressing a query on mitigation safeguards, Mr. Singh said river diversion projects involving hydroelectric generation or major/medium irrigation schemes require prior EC under Item 1(c) of the Schedule to the Environment (Impact Assessment) Notification, 2006. Projects are evaluated by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) which recommends safeguards to minimise social and ecological impacts before any clearance is granted.

The Ministry stressed that as per prescribed procedures, the State government concerned must identify and submit details for river basins where a CIA and CCS are needed. The Minister also said that as an inter-State prerequisite, any such inter-State river proposal additionally requires mandatory clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC) or the relevant inter-State River Water Dispute Tribunal.

However, officials in the know of the project details in Karnataka argued that drinking water projects do not require EC, and therefore, the very question raised by the MP was not applicable. “EC is not required for the Kalasa or Banduri nala projects as they are drinking water projects. We need forest clearance for Banduri nala projects. Both forest and wildlife clearances are required for Kalasa. Those applications are still pending before various agencies,” a senior officer said. He also said that the rejection by NBWL has been challenged by Karnataka.

‘Stating the obvious’

Mohan Kataraki, senior Supreme Court advocate who has been Karnataka‘s counsel for inter-State disputes, said the Minister was doing no more than “stating the obvious”.

“In the reply, the Minister has clarified that river diversions for power generation or irrigation need mandatory ECs. But the Mahadayi basin projects are drinking water projects. They are exempt from EC and Environmental Impact Assessment. He is stating the obvious,” Mr. Kataraki said.