Union Minister for Mine, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, said on Friday that Karnataka will get water from the Mahadayi River, also known as Mhadei River, in a few days.
Talking to reporters at Dharwad, Joshi said, "The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given another gift to the people of the state regarding utilisation of water from Mahadayi River.
The Congress had stated that it won't give a drop of water to Karnataka from the river. "But the Central government is forming a managing authority so that any of the three states concerned won't get additional water allocation.
The Mahadayi River water would be allocated appropriately very soon. This is a good development and I thank the Prime Minister for this." Joshi also said that though the Congress was in power for a long time, it did not do any work.
"The Congress misled the people by telling lies. It is now enacting dramas after seeing the popularity of BJP in the country," he said. Goa and Karnataka have been at loggerheads over the Mahadayi River water.
On Thursday, the 'Save Mhadei Save Goa Front' (SMSGF) had warned the Goa state government that it will bring the state to a standstill if the approval given to the detailed project report (DPR) of Karnataka for the disputed Kalsa-Bhanduri dam project on Mahadayi River is not revoked within the next 10 days.
The reaction from the front came after the Union Cabinet decided to approve the creation of the Mhadei Prawah (Mhadei Water Authority) on Wednesday.
Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the Kalasa-Banduri dam project across the Mahadayi river at a central tribunal.
The river originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji. While the river traverses 28.8 km in Karnataka, it is 81.2 km in length in Goa.
Karnataka plans to construct dams on the river, aimed at diverting the water into its water-starved Malaprabha basin in North Karnataka.