Team Herald
MARGAO: The Water Resources Department on Saturday launched a Rs 24-crore pilot project that aims to rejuvenate River Sal, near the wholesale fish market in Margao.
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“I used to hear about River Sal’s pollution and thus had visited the place myself. We have decided to focus upstream here from Verna and the tributaries of River Sal,” said WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar, who launched the project.
Based on the success of this project, which has been tested in Mumbai and New Delhi, it will be replicated in the other rivers of Goa, he said. He further added that they are in talks with a national company that can carry out specialised tasks of cleaning water bodies like lakes and ponds.
The project, with the objective of improving the waterways of River Sal, includes the construction of a water storage structure with electrically operated gates and an automated aeration system. In the future, there are also plans to start a micro as well as drop irrigation system to help various clusters of Salcete-based farmers.
“This will improve the quality of the River Sal waters that flow down to Verna. Earlier, we had focused on the downstream; this time it will be upstream. This project will also help in making fresh water available to the farmers and reducing floods during the monsoon,” said the Minister.
Pramod Badami, WRD Chief Engineer, explained that they are creating a water lagoon to store water which will be tested every day for purity, auction demand etc, and accordingly the aeration will be done. Badani pointed out that their team of scientists, experts and chemical analysts will also check the pollution levels.
He added that rapid urbanisation, the construction of houses and various types of waste being discharged into the river has led to the high pollution levels.
“River Sal was not taken up for improvement right from the day of Liberation nor have there been any efforts in the past to improve the quality of the water. Now, through this project, which will have a barrage with mechanical gates that can be closed and opened electronically, we will be able to control the quality of water. We have a water lab there that can help us decide on the dosage, aeration etc.
The water will be let down to the main streams from Verna so that the water that enters River Sal is pure,” said Badani.
“So with the continuous flushing of the river, we are sure that the water quality will improve and it will go back to the original clean Sal river. This will also help the farmers who were not getting enough water or getting dirty water for irrigation,” said Badami.
He added that this project will also keep a check on the chemical effluents from fields entering River Sal.
In addition to the coordination committee that is being formed with social activists and like-minded citizens on the Mhadei, a project led by Goans for River Sal is also being taken up, with inputs from environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai said that they will also seek the government’s inputs on the River Sal project and the aim is to save the river, which he lamented is being treated as a gutter for sewage discharge at present.
