Why Mhadei and not Mandovi? I thought Mhadei was the name used in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Goa the river has been known as Mandovi. John M. de Figueiredo Sent from my iPhone
Release at the Goa University on Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025.
Editors: Peter Ronald deSouza, Solano Da Silva, Lakshmi Subramanian
Pp 450. Colour printing.
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It is rare to find a work as readable and educative on
an issue with resonances for this country and the world at large. River
Mhadei has friends as thoughtful as they are articulate.--MAHESH
RANGARAJAN, Professor, Ashoka University
A rich, lucidly written collection of articles that
captures the Mhadei river’s ecological, cultural, and political
significance. From its origins to ongoing legal battles and living
traditions, this book demonstrates that the Mhadei is not just Goa’s
lifeline—it is its soul. Essential reading for every Goan. Every river
lover.—NORMA ALVARES, Senior Advocate, Bombay High Court
The River Mhadei: The Science and Politics of Diversion brings
together a wide range of experts—scientists, ecologists, legal scholars,
historians, planners, journalists, activists, and community
practitioners—to explore a pressing environmental dispute. Centered on
the waters of the Mhadei, which are contested by the states of Goa,
Karnataka, and Maharashtra, the volume moves beyond the narrow confines
of technical and legal debates over water diversion and allocation to
present a richly layered portrait of the river as a living presence.
Its chapters flow across time and discipline, from field-based
ecological studies and hydrological analyses to the history of Goan
riverine infrastructure, cultural memory, participatory art, and a
critical perspective on the official adjudication of the dispute and the
political maneuverings it has engendered. Some essays foreground the
staggering—and fragile—biodiversity supported by the river; others
explore local festivals, agricultural infrastructure, and the
experiences and lived knowledge of riverside communities for whom the
Mhadei is Amchi Mai—Our Mother. At the heart of the volume is
the pressing question: What does justice mean in a time of ecological
crisis? It warns against viewing the Mhadei solely as a resource to be
exploited and highlights its role as a sustainer of ecosystems, a
commons, and a memory archive.
- Contents
- Figures and Tables 7
- Foreword: Keri Facer 11
- Acknowledgements 16
- Introduction (Peter Ronald deSouza, Solano Da Silva, Lakshmi Subramanian) 18
- Conserving the Mahadayi: Biodiversity, Water, and Cultural Resources (Rajendra P. Kerkar) 31
- The Many Pasts and Contested Present of the Mhadei (Lakshmi Subramanian) 50
- Abundant Mother Goddess or Scarce, Contested Resource? The Life and Times of the River Mhadei (Parineeta Dandekar) 71
- Saving the Mhadei: The Anatomy of a Movement (Meera Mohanty) 93
- The Political Economy of the Mhadei Dispute: Intersecting the
Domains of Politics, Institutions, and Interests (Rahul Tripathi) 120
- The Unquiet Flow of the Mahadayi: A Logbook of Issues as Seen from the Eastern Face (Rishikesh Bahadur Desai) 135
- The Working of the Inter-State Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (Vaishali Kashyap) 157
- Sifting through the Water Laws: Securing the Mandovi River for Future Generations (Vasudha Sawaiker) 176
- Understanding Mhadei River Water Sharing (A. G. Chachadi) 201
- Threats to the Lesser-Known Biodiversity of the Mhadei Bio-Region: A Spotlight (Nirmal Kulkarni) 225
- Freshwater Fish Diversity in the Mhadei River in Goa (Vidyadhar Atkore and Nandini Velho) 247
- From the River to the Sea: The Mhadei River Continuum and the Impact of Interventions (Helga do Rosario Gomes) 264
- Valuing the River Mhadei: An Economic Exploration (Dhirendra Deshpande) 281
- Understanding the Urban Estuarine Ecology of the Mhadei: The Role
of Khazans in Panjim, Goa (Leon Morenas and Manisha Rodrigues) 301
- The Privatization of Community Property and Gambling with the Future of Goa (Aurobindo Gomes Pereira) 325
- Mhadei: ”May the Great Mother Live Long in Letters and Spirit” (Narayan B. Desai) 343
- Participatory River Drawings and Political Capabilities through Library Practice (Sujata Noronha) 366
- Managing the Commons in a Climate Emergency: An Experiment in Good Governance (Maya de Souza) 391\
- Epilogue: The Currents of the River Mhadei (Peter Ronald deSouza) 419
- Contributors 442
CONTRIBUTORS: A. G. Chachadi | Aurobindo Gomes Pereira |
Dhirendra Deshpande | Helga do Rosario Gomes | Lakshmi Subramanian |
Leon Morenas | Manisha Rodrigues | Maya de Souza | Meera Mohanty |
Nandini Velho | Narayan B. Desai | Nirmal Kulkarni | Parineeta Dandekar |
Peter Ronald deSouza | Rahul Tripathi | Rajendra P. Kerkar | Rishikesh
Bahadur Desai | Solano Da Silva| Sujata Noronha | Vaishali Kashyap |
Vasudha Sawaiker | Vidyadhar Atkore 450 pp. Printed in colour.
VISIT http://www.mhadeicollective.com
Available via mail order from Goa,1556 WhatsApp +91-9822122436 [email protected]
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