TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) may find itself in a tight spot. It’s contention that the Cuncolim floods on July 2 may have been caused by release of excess water from the Selaulim dam/reservoir may not hold water.
Herald inquiries with both the Water Resources Department looking after the Selaulim dam and the Public Works Department reveal that the question of releasing any excess water from the dam reservoir does not arise on two counts: One, the Selaulim dam started overflowing only from July 6 and secondly, unlike other dams, Selaulim dam has no gates to regulate water flow and the dam overflows automatically when it is full to the brim.
A senior Water Resources Department engineer, Executive Engineer, S I Pattan has completely ruled out flooding of Cuncolim because of any regulation of water at the Selaulim dam. “Selaulim dam has no provision for gates to regulate the water flow. When there are no gates to regulate the water flow, there’s no question of flooding taking place at far away Cuncolim because of the water position in the Selaulim dam”, he added.
A senior PWD engineer said the Selaulim dam began overflowing from July 6, indicating that the dam waters had no bearing of any flooding in Cuncolim. He also contended that the immediate effect of any change in the water table in the Selaulim dam would be felt close to the area and not in Cuncolim which is 30-40 kms away from the dam site.
The GSIDC had sought to claim that the July 2 flooding in Cuncolim was a natural calamity because of two to three days of incessant rains across the state, besides the release of excess Selaulim dam waters during the same time.
The GSIDC’s stand had assumed significance as the agency has consistently refused to shoulder the responsibility for the floods, with locals attributing the floods to the piped culvert (road diversion) erected in the Sanvorcotto rivulet. But, locals are not ready to buy GSIDC’s argument, with local non-governmental organisation Green Goa Foundation lodging a police complaint against the agency for negligence.
