Mahadayi River:
There is no proposal before the Union government from Karnataka seeking an Environmental Clearance (EC) for the diversion of the Mahadayi River for various projects, the Centre recently told the Lok Sabha.
- The Mahadayi River, also known as the Mandovi or Mhadei River, is a rain-fed river shared between Karnataka and Goa.
- It originates from the Bhimgad Forest in the Western Ghats, located in the Belagavi district of Karnataka.
- It flows westward to join the Arabian Sea at Panaji, Goa.
Panaji, the state capital, and the town of Old Goa are situated on the left bank of the Mandovi River. - Near the town of Old Goa, there are three large freshwater islands, Divar, Chorao, and Vashee, in the Mandovi River. The island of Chorao houses Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.
- It has several tributaries, namely Rogaro, Kushavati, Nanorem, Nanuz, Valvota, and Mapusa.
- The river is central to a decades-long dispute between Karnataka and Goa, primarily over Karnataka’s plans to divert water from the Kalasa and Bhandura tributaries to the Malaprabha basin for drinking water needs.
- The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) in 2018 allocated 13.42 tmc (380 Mcum) of water to Karnataka, including permissions for limited diversion from the Kalasa (1.72 tmc) and Bhandura (2.18 tmc) streams.
