Mahadayi row: 'Karnataka ready for talks at any place, date'

Karnataka is ready for talks at "any place and date", to work out an amicable settlement with Goa on sharing inter-state Mahadayi river water for drinking needs of drought prone areas of northern districts.

Speaking to reporters at Belagavi, state water resources minister M B Patil took exception to Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar not following "protocol" in communicating his government's willingness to consider an amicable settlement.

Parrikar, in a letter to state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa yesterday, had said, in principle, Goa would not oppose the "reasonable" and "justified" quantum of water meant to be utilised for drinking while pointing out that the matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

However, the same needs to be discussed bilaterally as suggested by the tribunal, Parrikar said.Patil said it would have been appropriate for the Goa chief minister to write a letter to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah.He claimed Siddaramaiah wrote several official letters seeking an amicable settlement through discussion but instead of responding to it as per protocol, Parrikar has written to the BJP state president.

"In spite of this, keeping the interest of the state in mind and not standing on any kind of prestige, our government and chief minister are ready for discussion with the chief minister of Goa at any place and date," Patil said.The resolution to the issue should be found in one sitting he said, adding, making requisite amount of water available to the state will help in taking necessary action to provide drinking water to drought-hit areas in the days to come.

Karnataka is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water by Goa from the river for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag in the state's northern region.

The project involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi river, to divert this amount of water to the Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.Goa had earlier expressed its opposition to the out of court settlement of the dispute, and had not responded positively for the proposed meeting of chief ministers.

Goa's willingness to consider an amicable settlement to the issue now, has come after BJP president Amit Shah mediated a meeting keeping in mind the upcoming assembly polls in Karnataka, where Mahadayi has become an emotive political issue in northern parts.