Farmers Join Goa Activists Against Banduri Project

Farmers from north Karnataka, likely to be affected by the government's plans to divert waters of Mhadei river (Mahadayi in Karnataka), have joined the activists from Goa to demand the scrapping of Kalasa Banduri project.

- Gerard de Souza

PANAJI:

As part of the project, the state government plans to divert waters of the Mhadei river (Mahadayi in Karnataka) that flows into Goa to the east-flowing Malaprabha river, a tributary of the Krishna.

"The farmers of Khanapur (in Belagavi) and surrounding villages have recognised that rather than being of benefit to them, the project is designed to take away the water that they depend on and divert it to other parts of the state, while at the same time destroying the forest of the Western Ghats that bring us the rain," Nitin Dhond, who was present for the meeting held at Khanapur sub-district bordering Goa in Karnataka's Belagavi district, where the project is planned.

Farmers and residents of Asoga, Nersa, Manturga, Rumewadi, Karambal, all villages of Khanapur sub-district where the project is planned, have received notices for land acquisition and work on the construction of large underwater pipes has begun that are intended to be part of an underground canal to divert the water, the villagers said in the memorandum, listing out their concerns, handed over to the deputy commissioner, Belagavi on Wednesday.