Team Herald
CANACONA: Canacona can boast of almost four thousand open wells both private as well as government, however the fact not to be proud of is that at least half of the wells have become polluted as they lie orphaned and abandoned for years. They are also responsible for causing irreversible damage to the ground water resources in the taluka.
Being primarily an agrarian taluka, Canacona is home to close to 4000 wells, which were used in the past for irrigation as well as domestic water needs of the residents.
After dams and bhandaras (check dams) were constructed, about half of the wells in the taluka are lying abandoned which have turned into worries for the already distressed environmentalists.
Every year, many of these wells are abandoned when they are replaced with new wells or when homes are connected to community water systems.
A large number of these abandoned wells are large diameter dug wells constructed with brick or stone casings, and range in depth from 20 to 60 feet depending on the water table in that area.
These abandoned wells are a safety hazard as children, animals or even adults may fall into them, causing injury or death which has happened in earlier times.
In terms of pollution, almost all of these orphaned wells have large quantities of polluted and contaminated water which percolates into the ground water thereby creating a rich breeding ground for various types of mosquitoes.
However, no data available with the authorities in the taluka as to how many wells are polluted.
An official at BDO office said that they are in the process of collecting data on how many government wells are existing in the taluka and it will be available only by end of May.
Manoj Prabhugaonkar, an environmentalist, said that in case the water from Chapoli dam is rendered unusable, the residents from the taluka will have no water and it is in the interest of all to keep their wells clean.
