2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: Environment Impact Assessment, Kalasa-Banduri project, Mahadayi river

Kalasa-Banduri Project

For: Preliminary & Mains
Topics Covered: Environment impact assessment, Project’s objective & aims, K-B Project, Issues involved

News Flash

After delay and lengthy process of getting clearances from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), finally, the mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) greenlighted the completion of the Kalasa-Banduri project. (The project was planned in 2001 though the talks have been on since 1976).

Issue

The project ran into trouble when the then (in 2002) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Goa headed by Manohar Parrikar raised objections to the project claiming that the project would harm Goa’s flora and fauna.

Goa moved the Supreme Court in 2006 seeking constitution of a tribunal, withdrawing approval for any work in the basin. Mahadayi (Mandovi) is a water deficit basin and water diversion could impact the environment. The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was set up on 22.11.2010.

Kalasa-Banduri project

It is a project undertaken by the Government of Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the Districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag.

It involves building across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river to divert 7.56 TMC of water to the Malaprabha river, which supplies the drinking water needs of the said 3 districts, i.e., Dharwad, Belagavi and Gadag.

The plan is to channelise the diverted water through Kalasa-Banduri, two separate canals so that water could be supplied to the twin cities and Nargund, Navalgund, Badami, Ron, Gadag and 100 villages.

Why delay in getting clearances?

The Kalasa-Banduri Drinking Water Supply Scheme doesn’t envisage creating a new command area or providing water to suffering existing command areas for irrigation. Furthermore, the project doesn’t involve hydro-electric power generation also.

In the case of the Kalasa-Banduri project, nearly 4 sq.km of forestland is expected to be submerged by the three dams to be constructed across the Haltara, Kalasa and Banduri streams of Mahadayi river. The pre-feasibility report notes that the area to be submerged comprises verdant forests falling in the notified Eco-Sensitive Zone of Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mahadayi river

The Mahadayi/Mandovi River, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa.
The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa.
Mandovi joins with the Zuari at a common creek at Cabo Aguada, forming the Mormugao harbour.
Panaji, the state capital and Old Goa, the former capital of Goa, are both situated on the left bank of the Mandovi.
The river has a length of 77 kilometres, 29 kilometres in Karnataka and 52 kilometres in Goa.
It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belagavi district of Karnataka

Environment Impact Assessment

UNEP defines Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making.

It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and design, find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the local environment and present the predictions and options to decision-makers.

Source: The Hindu

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