PORVORIM: Minister for Water Resources and Cooperation, Subhash Shirodkar, on Wednesday assured the House that there is no need to worry about Mhadei as the State has a strong case in the Supreme Court.
Replying to the discussion on demands for Cooperation and Water Resources, he said, “I know it is a very volatile issue. We are in a democratic setup in which we see that there are tribunals for water disputes amongst various States. The PRAWAH committee has visited the basin at the right time. We are trying to collect all the documentation which is going to support our matter in the Supreme Court. We should not worry about Mhadei. We have a panel of more than 20 advocates. We do not want to take any risk.”
He said that the Tillari dam canal lining and repair work will help Goa save 20 percent of water wasted through seepage. He added that the total cost of the project was Rs 2,579 crore, and Goa’s share in it was Rs 1,465 crore. He mentioned that the Maharashtra government has agreed to increase the storage capacity of the Tillari dam.
Shirodkar also mentioned that the Goa government plans to undertake repairs of the Selaulim canal.
He emphasised that action against illegal borewells will continue. “Whether it is private or a government body, wherever there is extraction of water in bulk quantity, we will impose a penalty. We will tell them to have their own STP, treat water, and then ask for water,” he said.
Stating that the Water Resources Department will tap water from the Kushavati river, he said the department has set a target of constructing 100 bhandaras (check dams).
“Presently, we have 374 bhandaras, and the construction of additional bhandaras will take the number to 474. We say that let there be at least 500 bhandaras, and there is a scope for that. We have also explored having at least three dams, and it is expected that the foundation stone of two dams will be laid by March or April next year,” he stated.
He further mentioned that there is a proposal to construct dams at Kajumold, Kakode, and Shiroda, and he added that the Sal project is expected to be completed by December 2025.