SANGUEM: Following strong opposition from Mirabag, the villagers of Mugoli in Sanguem are now raising their voices against the bhandara project on the Zuari River. Mugoli village, located adjacent to the Zuari River, faces annual flooding issues. The villagers, along with those from nearby areas like Marangan, Taripanto, and other parts of the Triveni Sangam area in Sanguem, are deeply concerned that the bhandara project will exacerbate these problems and put their lives and properties at greater risk.
The primary fear among the villagers is that the construction of the bhandara will block the flow of the river, causing water levels to rise and potentially leading to the collapse of their homes. During the monsoon season, the Zuari floods, often blocking the village road, which is only 200 metres from the river. If the bhandara is constructed, the villagers fear that the entire area could be submerged, including small rivers connected to the Zuari. One such river, which connects to the Marangan Mahadev Temple, already approaches the temple compound during the rainy season, and the situation could worsen with the bhandara in place.
The villagers, most of whom belong to the ST community, rely heavily on their small agricultural lands on both sides of the river for their livelihood. They worry that these lands will be endangered if the project goes ahead. The loss of their agricultural lands would have a devastating impact on their ability to sustain themselves, as well as on their cultural practices that are closely tied to the river and the surrounding land.
This isn’t the first time the villagers have faced such a threat. In 2006, a similar bhandara was proposed on the same river at Mugoli, and the villagers successfully opposed it.
The villagers suggest that instead of building the bhandara, which would block the river and raise water levels, the government should consider utilising existing deep-water spots in the river. They propose that water could be pumped from these areas and supplied elsewhere, which they believe would be a simpler and less harmful solution.
