Keeping all differences aside, it is very clear that Goa has a strong voice to save the river Mhadei. The river that has its orgins in Karnataka but continues most of its journey through Goa culminating to the River Mandovi and then the Arabia Sea. The river is not just a mere source of fresh water but a lifeline for Goa’s hinterland.
Sagar Naik Mule had created a series of
artwork highlighting the Mhadei issue. The work was done two years back about
losing this important heritage. “Mhadei is currently a hot topic and I had
wished to express and execute my work and contribute my efforts to the issue. I
have been brought up by the Zuari River and I understand the importance of fresh
flowing water. With new modifications there is a ripple effect on the
environment which shows on the flora and fauna. The same way through the 7-8
photographs, I wanted to highlight the motto to Save Mhadei and the best way to
express myself was through these photos,” says artist Sagar Naik Mulle.
Using different materials, Sagar has done
this beautiful photo documentation. Right from fish to fishing nets and the
colourful flowers and vegetation, he covered himself in the mud of the river
banks, “I wanted to show that images does most of the talking. There are so
many emotions that can be seen through these photos,” explains Sagar.
Akash Mangesh Palkar, a noted actor and
director, released a documentary, ‘Mhadei-Lifeline of Goa,’ a 30 minutes
duration documentary on the river Mhadei stunningly shows the journey of the
river from its origins in Karnataka to its flow into the Arabian Sea. Created
painstakingly by visiting every point of the river in Goa and Karnataka, the
documentary also features environmentalist like Rajendra Kerkar and people who
live by the banks of the river and also depend on the river for their
livelihood. “We worked on shooting the documentary for almost six months,
visiting the different places and villages when the Mahadayi Water Disputes
Tribunal was announced. However, the documentary is just not enough to
experience the pain that the villagers are going through. They are looking at a
very uncertain future and are already noticing a change in the water. We shot
the documentary during the summer heat as well as the peak monsoon flow. The
villagers spoke about a reduced flow and muddy water. There is also a fisherman
who speaks about the kind of species of fish available in the river like
Khadas, molyo, molla, gholse and crabs. He laments that there is already a
decrease in black clams and the next generation will not be able to relish any
of these clams,” says Savoi Verem-based Akash Palkar, director of the
documentary.
Released through his YouTube channel, Sargam Studio, through the
documentary one can understand how the river flows through the talukas of
Sattari, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Bicholim, Ponda, Bardez and Tiswadi. The rich
river bed cultivation and the Kulagars (farms) which have been preserved
through years of cultivation with the river water are also explained and
various waterfalls are portrayed on screen. “The beauty of this river is too
good to capture in a documentary and the climate in this region is just
amazing. I am very thankful to Vishal Gaonkar who took me to each point of the
river and showed how nearly 92 villages of Goa are dependent on this waters.
The song featured in the documentary is a folk song written and sung by Ashish
Talekar describing the flow of river Mhadei,” says Akash, who works on Konkani
dramas and films.
Through his photographic series, State Award winning producer
and director, Sainath Parab, has shown the strong emotions of river Mhadei as a
tribal goddess. The concept and shadow illustration is by Sainath and features
poetry by Guadalupe Dias with Prajakta Wadye portraying the human image of the
river. “I am a nature lover and the Mhadei issue has been ongoing for many
years. I wanted to react on Mhadei and the best way was to express it through
my creativity. I won the State Award for my film, ‘Disha’ as best producer and
director for which Prajakta, a noted Marathi actress was my lead actress. My
concept idea was on how Mhadei is a tribal goddess is very romantic and wants
to flow freely. Guadalupe Dias is a well-known poet who has beautifully written
poems based on the photos. We worked on this project during the first wave of
Covid-19 and the wavelength of Guadalupe and my creativity matched. There is no
limit to human’s greed and it is very evident when it comes to nature. I did
this project for my satisfaction and not to gain money. I hope to exhibit these
numerous photos in the near future,” says Sainath Parab.
When ‘Mhadei: Kallzantlyan Kagdar’, an ecoanthropological study
of Mhadei river basin by written and released by Konkani writer and teacher,
Prakash Parienkar, artist Kalanand Bambolkar was present to witness and
experience the rich cultural significance of the river. Released in 2011, it
was the first book in any language in the world on the Mhadei River. Inspired
by the book, Kalanand Bambolkar went on to paint an abstract painting on his
representation of the river. “I painted my artwork early 4-5 years back based
on my interpretation of the river. The book beautifully describes the flora and
fauna and the gives the right information about the river. The book is in
Konkani and one has to read the book to understand the importance of the river.
I portrayed the river as an idol that is worshipped just like how the River
Ganga is revered,” says Kalanand, who recently called the artist community on
social media to flood the news stream with local art and creativity.
Antruz
Ghudyo recently organised Bhurgeanche Kala Mell, an annual children’s cultural
festival which had a host of activities and competitions. “Ravindra Kelekar
Dnyanmandir was the only school that had a Mhadei theme for every competition.
The festival had competitions like street play, comic strips, folk dance and
even Ad Mad show for the students. This school focused on ‘Jal’ which means
water for the comedy advertisement based on a fictional Goan brand,” explains
Kalanand, who is part of the organising committee of the festival.