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Quake fallout: Goa Congress leaders
raise doubts about Karnataka dams

Rattled by the devastating earthquake in Gujarat, Congress leaders in Goa are raising doubts and propose to build public opinion against seven proposed dams in neighbouring Karnataka.

State unit president Nirmala Sawant, who also heads the Mhadei Bachao Andolan, has lodged a strong protest against seven dams in Karnataka, proposed to be constructed by diverting water of the river Mhadei, known as Mandovi in Goa.

Sawant has written to her party colleague Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna that the proposed dams could be harmful to both the states as proposed sites lie in an earthquake-prone zone.

Sawant has written similar letters to central ministers, concerned ministers in Karnataka as well as Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Irrigation Minister Ramakant Khalap. The state government is, however, yet to react to the issue.

Quoting observations of some seismologists that hydroelectric projects over the dams could cause serious harm within a radius of 50 kms, she has pointed out that the Kadasali and Supa dams in Karnataka and Tillari dam on the Goa-Maharashtra border fall within this radius.

The seven proposed dams would be an additional risk, fears Sawant.

Seismologists have recently demarcated quake-prone zones afresh, categorising most of the Konkan belt along with Goa as coming under the moderate risk zone number three, in which also fall areas like quake-affected Latur.

Though Goa receives shocks whenever tremors originate in the vicinity of either Koyna dam or Latur in Maharashtra, the international tourist destination has suddenly become alert to the danger involved after Bangalore - a no-risk zone - also witnessed tremors. Goa also experienced tremors when an earthquake hit western India on January 26.

The Mhadei river, which merges into the Arabian sea as river Mandovi in Panjim, traverses a distance of 28.8 kms in Karnataka and 81.2 kms in Goa.

By diverting 255 million cubic metres of water from Mhadei to Malprabha basin for irrigation in Belgaum as well as parts of Bijapur and Dharwar districts, Karnataka is also planning to generate around 457 MW of hydroelectric power with three power plants.

People in Goa have already registered their protest against the proposed diversion as Mhadei is considered the lifeline of the tourist state, especially the northern belt.

"How can we take this risk when we are already surrounded by three to four dams?" asks Sawant, stating that she would take the initiative in mobilising public opinion even across the border and cutting across the political divide.

The Complete Coverage | List of earthquake sites

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