Mhadei River Water Dispute UPSC NOTE

Mhadei River Water Dispute

Subject

The Goa government decided to file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka's actions aimed at diverting water from the Mhadei river.
This river water dispute is primarily between the neighboring states of Goa and Karnataka.
The central government had formed a Tribunal to resolve the dispute. However, since all three riparian states—Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra—have approached the Supreme Court against the Tribunal's verdict, the matter is currently sub judice.
The Goa Chief Minister informed the legislative assembly that activities within Karnataka's jurisdiction cannot be prevented, but all necessary steps have been taken to counter them.

Origin: The Mhadei river originates in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
Flow: This west-flowing river passes through the states of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra, finally draining into the Arabian Sea.
Another Name: In Goa, this river is known as Mandovi.
Key Features: The famous Dudhsagar Falls and the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary are associated with this river. 43% of Goa's population depends on this river for drinking water.
Tributaries: Kalasa, Banduri, Nerul, and Dudhsagar are its main tributaries.

Root Cause: The main cause of the dispute is Karnataka's Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, which aims to divert water from the Mhadei river's tributaries, Kalasa and Banduri, to the Malaprabha river basin.
Project's Aim: The primary objective of the project is to provide drinking water to the water-scarce Hubli-Dharwad cities in Karnataka by transferring water to the Malaprabha river, a tributary of the Krishna River.

In August 2018, the Tribunal, constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, announced its verdict.
Water Allocation: