NGOs ask governments not to politicise Mahadayi issue

Members of several non-governmental organisations have written to the Union government and the governments of the riparian states of the Mahadayi river, with a request not to politicise the issue.

Members of several non-governmental organisations have written to the Union government and the governments of the riparian states of the Mahadayi river, with a request not to politicise the issue.

Activists from Paryavarani, Parivarthan and Parisarakkagi Navu have appealed to decision-makers that the Mahadayi river dispute be treated as an environmental issue.

They fear that the river basin projects that involve diversion of the streams and rivers would have long-term negative impacts on the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats that is considered one of the few eco-sensitive hotspots in the world. The activists urge authorities in the riparian states to avoid politicising the issue and focus on conserving the region’s ecology for the sake of future generations.

They have launched a campaign to create awareness about the preservation of ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats including Bhimgarh in Karnataka and the Mahadayi sanctuary in Goa.

They have warned that this project could further threaten the water security of the arid northern Karnataka region apart from damaging the region’s rich biodiversity. Reduced forest cover in the Western Ghats region surrounding Khanapur could significantly reduce rainfall in Belagavi district and accelerate the desertification of North Karnataka, they hold.

“The Kalasa and Banduri water diversion projects could divert water from the Mahadayi, damaging over 500 sq km of biodiverse forest in the Bhimgad and Mahadayi sanctuaries. This will reduce rainfall in Khanapur, that is the command area of the Malaprabha river that fills up the Naviluteertha dam. These biodiverse forests are responsible for nearly half the rainfall in northern Karnataka. This could affect the watercycle and could ultimately lead to desertification of the region,” they said.

They have also dismissed the claim of Karnataka that the Mahadayi waters were being wasted by flowing into the sea unharvested. “It is the natural course of rivers to flow into the oceans. They are crucial to completing the monsoon’s hydrological cycle. Westward-flowing rivers like Mahadayi play a vital role in global cooling by supporting carbondioxide-absorbing algae and other ecological benefits,” they explained.