Team Herald

VALPOI: Stakeholders fear that the diversion of Mhadei water will have a cascading effect on the ecology, farming and drinking water in the State.

The farmers said that entire Sattari taluka will run dry as Mhadei is the only water source for them. If Mhadei water is allowed to be diverted by Karnataka, then it will severely affect farming and plantations and the livelihood of farmers and horticulturists, who solely depend on it. Drinking water shortages will be seen in six talukas since most dams depend on Mhadei river. The water treatment plants at Dabose, Guleli, Bhironda and Paikul will face acute water shortages also. In Sattari taluka itself, 15,000 households have tap water connections.

Raising their concerns over the ongoing dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei water diversion, PWD (water supply) officials from Valpoi said that Sattari’s source of water is Mhadei river. Besides Sattari, the department is also supplying Mhadei water to Ponda and also as far as Panjim.

Social worker Dashrath Mandrekar from Valpoi said that if Mhadei water is diverted to Karnataka’s Kalasa-Bandura dam project then it will spell doom for Sattari taluka. “Being farmers, our family has been using the Mhadei water to cultivate fields for the last 80 years.”

Another farmer Babuso Gaonkar also echoed similar views and demanded that people of Goa should come together to foil Karnataka’s sinister plans.

Satyawati Gaonkar, a resident of Velus village said, “If Mhadei water is diverted then all women will face the problems at home. The government should not allow diversion of Mhadei water to Karnataka.”

About 4000 farmers from Sattari taluka solely depend upon the Mhadei water to cultivate crops such as rice, cashew nuts, areca nut, banana, coconut, and other vegetables. If Mhadei is diverted, then the river will get dry and all these farmers will be greatly affected, said Shah, junior engineer of Water Resources Department (WRD).

Mhadei also known as Mandovi originates in the Western Ghats, and flows through Sattari and ends up in the Arabian sea at Panjim.

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Mega Mhadei rally will be held at new venue in SaNkhali on Monday

PANJIM: Save Goa, Save Mhadei Front on Friday announced that the public awareness meeting on Mhadei river will be held in Sankhali constituency itself, but at the changed venue of open ground next to Amona-Virdi bridge at 4 pm on Monday, January 16.

The decision to change the venue was taken at a meeting of organisers at Azad Maidan, Panjim after the Sankhali municipal council Kabir Shirgaonkar on Thursday revoked the permission granted to hold the meeting at the Sankhali municipal ground stating it was coinciding with the Sankhali weekly bazaar and would create traffic congestion.

A group of NGOs from across Goa have formed a united front Save Goa, Save Mhadei under convenor Adv Hrudaynath Shirodkar to protest against the diversion of Mhadei water by Karnataka government to the Malaprabha basin. The activists condemned the government’s decision to revoke the permission citing a weekly bazaar when people are fighting to protect Goa’s lifeline Mhadei river.

After the meeting, Adv Shirodkar said, “the meeting will be held as per scheduled date and time but at a changed venue in Sankhali constituency. He is not going back with our decision.”

The meeting assumes importance as it is called in the constituency represented by CM Pramod Sawant. The day also coincides with the Opinion Poll Day.