27 May 2023  |   06:11am IST

30 years later, Colvale farmers still wait for water to trickle from Tillari canal

Team Herald

Mapusa: The dream of harvesting three kinds of crops in a year remains just a dream for farmers of Koniwada, Colvale as the canal water of Tilari dam which was promised to them has stayed only on paper. “It is not possible to bring the land under cultivation without sufficient water,” said Rohidas Varkhankar, president of Koniwada Shetkari Sanghatana.

WRD had stated that water of Tilari would be supplied through a canal from Dodamarg to Siolim in order to bring green revolution in Goa. However, for the Bardez farmers it’s just a distant dream for the last three decades 

 Notably, the Public Health Engineering Division of PWD has built a water treatment plant at Porvorim to resolve the water scarcity faced by residents. 

“ Water is supplied to Porvorim from the  canal that passes through Colvale and yet the  farmers do not get a drop,” said a villager.

The farmers had also given their land for the canal to pass through their properties. They claimed that they are neither compensated nor they have been supplied the water of the canal. Initially the farmers were supplied water until the valve was closed.

Farmers also said that since some of the valves have corroded at places, there is wastage of water. “There is also leakage in the canal at various spots. If some of the water is diverted to Colvale village then farmers will be benefit from it,” said a local farmer.

When contacted, the WRD officials said that the issue requires a detailed discussion with the farmers.