The Shiv Sena has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar from sharing the waters of the Mahadayi river with Karnataka, PTI reported.
In a letter on Monday, the Sena’s Goa spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik said Parrikar was being a “bad Santa Claus” by “snatching the future of our children”.
“Santa Claus distributes gifts to bring smiles on the faces of children, but our Parrikar, who is a “bad Santa Claus”, has instead snatched the future of our children by agreeing to divert the water of River Mahadayi,” the letter said.
On Thursday, Parrikar had said that his state was ready to share a “reasonable and justified” amount of water from the Mahadayi river with Karnataka for its drinking water needs. For decades, Goa and Karnataka have been fighting over the waters of the Mahadayi river, which originates in Karnataka.
Parrikar agreed to share the water after meeting Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Karnataka, including state party chief BS Yeddyurappa. On Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had called it an “election gimmick”. Karnataka goes to the polls in 2018, and Yeddyurappa had talked about Parrikar’s offer during a rally in Hubballi.
On Monday, the Sena said Parrikar’s decision would cost the state “its hope for a better future”. Naik asked the Prime Minister’s Office to act like the real Santa Claus. “You would spread a message of hope, love and peace, if you do so on the occasion of Christmas,” the letter told the prime minister.
The dispute
The Mahadayi river, called Mandovi in Goa, flows 35 km through Karnataka and 52 km through Goa, before draining into the Arabian Sea.
In Karnataka, the river is just a cluster of springs at its origin in Bhimgad. Northern Karnataka, the bordering areas of Maharashtra and Goa depend on the Mahadayi river basin for all their water needs.
For years, the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal has been handling the dispute between Goa and Karnataka over the southern state’s plan to build the Kalsa-Bhandura dam across the river.
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