22 Oct 2022  |   05:45am IST

Tiswadi’s Bondvol Lake declared wetland, 6 more likely to get protected status

Once an area is declared a wetland, any polluting or encroachment activities that are detrimental to this ecosystem are prohibited in the area

Team Herald

PANJIM: The Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) has notified Bondvol Lake in Tiswadi taluka as a ‘wetland’ under the 2017 Central Government Wetlands (conservation and management) Rules. 

The GSWA has also issued a draft notification to declare Sulabhat Lake in Tiswadi, Panchami Lake, Conem Lake, Tarvalem lake and Udden lake in Ponda taluka, Pali Lake in Salcete as wetlands, for which public suggestions and objections are invited for a period of 60 days. 

Panchami lake covers an area of 9,383 sq mts, Tarvalem lake has an area of 7.15 lakh sq mts, Conem lake is spread across 8,950 sq mts while Udden is around 6,839 sq mts. Pali lake covers around 44,664 sq mts. 

With the notification of Bondvol lake, a total of eight water bodies are now declared as wetlands- Darshi Lake, Pilerne Lake, Toyaar Lake in North Goa and in the South, Cottambi Lake, Sarzavo lake, Xeldem lake and Nanda Lake. 

Once an area is declared a wetland, any polluting or encroachment activities that are detrimental to this ecosystem are prohibited in the area, including setting up or expansion of industry, disposal or handling of construction waste, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated waste, among others.