TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Goa State Bio-diversity Board on Wednesday inspected the Sapu Lake at Ambelim, following complaints by farmers and NGOs over plans by Water Resources department to build a concrete retaining wall.
People had raised objections to plans drawn up by the Water Resources department to develop the lake to supply 10 MLD of drinking water to the residents of Velim and Ambelim. The inspection comes in the wake of apprehensions raised by the farmer that the concretization of the lake would adversely affect the environment. Activist Ronny Dias told the media that the concretization of the lake would spell doom for the environment and natural resources. ‘We are not opposed to the plans to tap the water for drinking purposes. What is, however, objectionable is the move to build a concrete wall around the lake. Concretization of water bodies has been banned and the government can go ahead with the project with the traditional laterite stone wall,” he said.
A farmer Mozard Colaco recalled that farmers from Velim and Ambelim have been using the water of the Sapu lake for irrigation since decades. “Water from this lake had come in handy for the farmers to go in for two crops. We fail to understand why the government is hell bent in bulldozing its way with the construction of the concrete wall. We are opposed to the concretization of the lake.” he said.
A member of the Goa State Bio-diversity Board said the panel will conduct a study on the proposal and would soon come out with a report.
Foundation stone for the development of the Sapu lake for the proposed water supply scheme was laid on December 11, 2013 at the hands of Water Resources Minister, Dayanand Mandrekar in the presence of Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and local MLA Benjamin D’Silva.
