QUERIM: While Goa's Mandovi river stands threatened by neighbouring Karnataka's canal work to divert the Mhadei river, things have turned ugly up north too with Maharashtra resuming work on the Virdi dam, about 7 km from Querim, Satari.
The 600-m long, 48-m high dam at Shidbachemol, between Temb and Talyachya Vallacho Dongor of Virdi village, will affect the water level of Valvonti river which supplies water to Bicholim and Satari talukas, said Madei Bachao Abhiyan's Nirmala Sawant.
The Virdi irrigation project which was stopped by the South Konkan Ratnagiri irrigation division in 2010for lack of funds, was given the go ahead by the Maharashtra government last month to provide irrigation facilities to Aai, Matne and Talekhol villages in Dodamarg.
Speaking to TOI on Friday, chief engineer, water resources department, Sandip Nadkarni said, "We have written to the Maharashtra government to stop the work on Virdi dam immediately."
He said the Maharashtra government had sent its new proposal on the dam to the Goa government last month. "Our government is studying the proposal. Our official will visit the dam site on February 26 and will submit a report based on which we will take a stand," said Nadkarni.
He further pointed out that the Maharashtra government changed the dam's site without informing the Goa government.
The old proposal was of 238 m (length) and 40.33 m (height) which was changed as Virdi villagers opposed it,s aid Nadkarni. "The new site is near a settlement area, but villagers haven't opposed it as only eight families have to be rehabilitated, he added. When the Virdi irrigation project was first announced by the Maharashtra government in 2006, the Goa government had given its consent. It changed its stand only after Madei Bachao Abhiyan explained to the state WRD how the dam would affect the flow of water in Goa.
Meanwhile, Karnataka has almost completed the work on the Kalasa canal. "If the state doesn't intervene soon, Goa will lose its water resources," said Sawant.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.