I refer to the news report ‘Land earmarked for IIT at Cotarli falls within Gross Command Area, say protesting ryots’ (page 2/ Herald, December 10).
Having completed my post-graduation degree in engineering from an IIT, I fully support the idea of having this institute of higher learning in Goa. However, this institute should not be located at the presently proposed site in Sanguem Taluka by destroying command areas of irrigation project and livelihood areas of local communities.
Sugarcane cultivation in the command areas of the Salaulim Irrigation Project was an important activity linked to irrigation water use for promoting agriculture to improve livelihood of the local villagers .The water balance studies to assess water storage capacities/levels in the dam based on inflows, outflows and water demands for different levels of climatic risks (dependable flows) considers agricultural cropping patterns for cultivation in the project command areas to meet the irrigation water release requirements. The objective is to create self-sufficient villages through planned irrigation during the non-monsoon months.
The protection of the land-use plans of the upstream catchment areas and irrigation land-use plans of the downstream command areas was critical for the success and smooth reservoir operation of Salaulim Irrigation Project dam. The water crisis that has emerged in Goa is mainly as a result of population growth due to uncontrolled migration, rapid urbanisation, unforeseen industrial and other large scale projects and environmental degradation. These man-made factors have contributed to increasing water shortages.
Massive flooding has been caused in India in recent years damaging roads, bridges, farmlands and settlement areas due to the release of water from upstream reservoirs, unplanned river diversion and overtopping of the river banks.
The dam reservoir water storage planning issues such as prevention of reservoir sedimentation through protection of land-use plans of upstream catchment areas and restoration of the required land-use plans of the downstream command areas and domestic water supply betterment areas (considering sustainable population growth rates for planned water demands) should get top priority in formulating site-specific Terms of Reference for DRIP projects.
Serious attempts are being made to formulate unsustainable water-use policies linked to conversion of the peaceful rural-urban state of Goa into a metropolitan city by promoting massive industrial development and supporting mega housing development projects. Since Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been scrapped in Goa, these unsustainable projects for supporting the economic transportation corridors, special investment regions, unwanted logistic parks and urban townships of the coastal economic zone under the Sagarmala Project and Bharatmala Pariyojana are hypothetical and must be rejected.
