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17 August 2026

Mahadayi river diversion project status

The Mahadayi river dispute is a recurring inter-state water sharing issue that involves critical aspects of federalism, environmental impact assessment, and natural resource management, making it a standard topic for UPSC Mains.

1 min read 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has confirmed no proposal for Environmental Clearance (EC) regarding the Mahadayi river diversion project is currently under consideration.
  • Karnataka maintains that EC requirements are not applicable to drinking water projects.
  • The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has not granted approval for the use of 10.6852 hectares of forest land for the Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme.
  • The proposed forest land diversion is located within a tiger corridor connecting the Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserves.
  • No state governments involved have submitted proposals or basin details for a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) or Carrying Capacity Study (CCS) of the Mahadayi basin.
  • Environmental concerns regarding the diversion include potential threats to drinking water security, saline ingress, and the health of freshwater aquifers in the river basin.

Questions

  1. Discuss the significance of Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) and Carrying Capacity Studies (CCS) in the context of inter-state river water diversion projects in India. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. Examine the role of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in balancing infrastructure development with the conservation of ecologically sensitive tiger corridors in India. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. The Kalasa Nala Diversion Scheme, often in the news, is associated with the basin of which of the following rivers?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-08-17/mahadayi-river-diversion-project-status