'Mhadei water diversion would hit drinking water, tourism, environment of Goa'
Panaji, Aug 2: Diversion of water from the Mhadei river will severely hit drinking water supply, irrigation, navigation, tourism, ecology and environment in Goa, Water Resources Minister Vinod Palienkar told the Goa Assembly on Thursday.
Palienkar made the statement in response to a question from Congress MLA Ravi Naik in the Assembly.
In reply to an earlier question during the ongoing monsoon session, Palienkar had ruled out any negotiation on Mhadei river water-sharing with Karnataka, even as he had accused Karnataka of already diverting the river water to the depleted Malaprabha river basin through underground channels.
Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra are currently battling a dispute over the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the waters of the Mhadei river.
Mhadei, also known as the Mandovi river, is known as a lifeline in the northern parts of Goa.
It originates in Karnataka, meeting the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa, while briefly flowing through the territory of Maharashtra.
Karnataka also aims to build seven dams at various points along the river, including at Kalsa village, for diverting the flow into what it claims is the water-starved Malaprabha basin in north Karnataka.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
