FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee conducted a second study on the salinity of River Mhadei.
According to information given by Water Resources Department chief engineer Shrikant Patil, a two-member NIH team comprising Dr Gopal Krishan and N Patikar, both scientists, visited Goa last week and took salinity observations at 14 locations on River Mhadei and its tributaries from Ganjem-Usgao up to Ribandar.
This was the second time the team visited Goa, the earlier being in September last year to establish observation sites on the Mhadei river and its tributaries.
The team will return to Goa in the second week of May this year to monitor the observations for lean season.
After completing the study, the NIH will submit the interim report to the Union Jal Ministry, New Delhi.
Ministry of Jal Shakti, Delhi has entrusted a study of salinity to NIH after Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant met Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and expressed his concern on the increasing salinity in the Mhadei river due to the proposed diversion by Karnataka.
The Goa government has claimed that about 509 square kilometres fall in salinity, which was ignored by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal.
