With fresh litigation, political rhetoric, and local anxieties spilling over, the battle for water has once again become a crucible of identity, environment, and power.
By PC Bureau
July 2025 – For decades, the Mahadayi River—serene, winding, and barely 111 kilometers long—has been the unlikely epicenter of a fierce inter-state battle between Goa and Karnataka, with Maharashtra as a silent third stakeholder. But beneath the tranquil flow of this Western Ghats-born river lies a deep reservoir of regional tensions, ecological anxieties, and electoral calculations.
The Mahadayi (or Mandovi, as it’s called in Goa) originates in Karnataka’s Belagavi district, cuts through the Western Ghats, and empties into the Arabian Sea in Goa. In 2002, Karnataka announced its Kalasa-Banduri project, aimed at diverting Mahadayi’s waters to supply drinking water to drought-stricken areas in north Karnataka, particularly Hubballi-Dharwad.
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Goa cried foul, alleging the diversion would threaten its ecological stability, deplete river flow, and violate its water rights. A prolonged legal battle ensued, culminating in the 2018 Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal award, which allocated 13.42 TMC to Karnataka, 24 TMC to Goa, and 1.33 TMC to Maharashtra.
But the matter was far from settled.
2025: The Dispute Resurfaces
This July, the dispute re-erupted after Karnataka began fresh construction on the Kalasa canal in Khanapur, citing the Centre’s 2020 gazette notification approving its Detailed Project Report (DPR). Goa’s newly re-elected administration swiftly accused Karnataka of bypassing environmental clearance and inter-state consultations.
Goa has filed an urgent petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to restrain Karnataka from proceeding with the canal work until the ecological and hydrological impacts are fully assessed.
VIDEO | Bengaluru: On Mahadayi water dispute, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) says, “I think Goa CM Pramod Sawant has lost his mental balance. He doesn’t know that this is a federal structure. That is our land. The project is approved and we will make it. He… pic.twitter.com/MatBjbWb0v
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 24, 2025
“This is not just a legal issue—it’s a matter of Goa’s survival,” said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant , at a press conference in Panaji. “Our forests, our water supply, our estuaries—they are all at risk. Karnataka cannot act like a water bully.”
In response, Karnataka leaders argue the project is a necessity for the state’s drought-hit northern districts.
“Are the people of Hubballi-Dharwad less important than mangroves?” asked Karnataka Water Resources Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state
“We are not asking for extra water. We’re using what is legally allocated to us. Goa should stop playing politics with drinking water.”
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Environmentalists in Goa warn that any reduction in Mahadayi’s flow could lead to salinity intrusion in estuaries, threatening agriculture, biodiversity, and fisheries.
“If the river dies, so will Goa’s identity,” said Dr. Aparna Phadke, an ecologist with the Goa Riverine Forum. “The Kalasa project could be the death knell for our already fragile ecosystems.”
In contrast, in Karnataka’s dryland districts like Gadag and Dharwad, residents hail the project as a long-overdue lifeline.
We need to save Mhadei! Why is the Govt still silent?
Three days ago, a report exposed plans to divert water at one of Mhadei’s vital water sources. Today, there’s video proof of ground markings at Bhandura
The Govt. of Goa knows. The CM of Goa knows. What’s been done? NOTHING.… pic.twitter.com/MtiqTyYsLL
— Vijai Sardesai (@VijaiSardesai) July 22, 2025
“We’ve waited twenty years for water while Goa has had its fill,” said Ravindra Patil, a farmer in Dharwad, on phone. “How much longer should we beg?”
The Union government has called for restraint from both states. A senior official in the Ministry of Jal Shakti said the Centre prefers a “negotiated settlement”, though experts say political compulsions may derail any progress.
The Verdict Awaited
With the Supreme Court yet to rule on Goa’s fresh petition and excavators already humming in the forests of Khanapur, the Mahadayi dispute is entering a decisive chapter. At stake is not just water, but identity, environment, and regional balance.
As the river flows silently beneath the fray, one wonders: can these states find common ground—or will Mahadayi, once a symbol of serenity, continue as a river of discord?
