Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The Central Water Commission (CWC) team on Friday visited Anjunem Dam, Sankhalim and Bicholim water reservoir facilities and proposed Virdi Dam in Maharashtra.
They were accompanied by Water Resource Department (WRD) chief engineer Pramod Badami and other officials during the inspection in the Goa region.
The team however remained tight-lipped about the visit and inspection as it was also kept as a secret.
Sources informed that the team inspected the water levels in the dams and the capacity of the two reservoirs. The visit gains importance on the backdrop of the attempts of Karnataka government to start the Bhandura dam work to complete the in-basin diversion of River Mhadei.
Badami said that it was normal inspection of the dams while, CWC chief engineer Paithankar said that it was a general inspection. CWC director (PAO) Raju kumar and director Ajay were the other members.
However it is learnt that the main visit of the three-member CWC team was at Virdi dam in view of the Maharashtra government seeking approvals to go ahead with the project from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
After inspecting the Anjunem dam, the team proceeded to the Virdi dam site, where Maharashtra water resources executive engineer Yadav and deputy engineer Mangaonkar and other officials were present.
Besides, Badami, superintendent engineer (CPO) Shantaram Ghatkar, superintendent engineer Circle-I Ram Gawas, executive engineer works division V Shailesh Pokle, assistant surveyor of works (CPO) Neil Aghshikar, assistant surveyor of works circle-I Abdul Wahab and assistant engineer Dilip Gaonkar. Surprisingly Goa Mhadei River Disputes Cell chief Lilesh Khandeparkar, who is the authority for all Mhadei related matter was absent.
The Goa government had strongly opposed the Maharashtra’s plan to construct Virdi dam across Kattica nullah as it will affect the flow of water in the Valvanti river. In 2015 the Goa government has complained to the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal that the Maharashtra government had started the work at Virdi without obtaining the mandatory clearances.
Amidst environmental activists raising alarm over the attempts of covert diversion of River Mhadei, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said that the Karnataka has started the work at Nerse in Khanapur taluka for construction of the Bhadura dam.
He said that in 2006 the Karnataka had started the work at Kankumbi for Kalasa dam and it has been completed in a bid of divert water, without obtaining permissions from the MoEF&CC. He demanded that the Goa government should oppose both the projects of the neighbouring States.