Team Herald
PANJIM/SATTARI: Harvalem waterfall could go dry even before December, fear farmers living in its vicinity and staring at a grim future for their farms.
The rivulet which runs through the areas bordering Sattari and Bicholim talukas has already run dry and it is only November, posing serious challenges to the farmers on how to irrigate their farms.
Farmers have sought Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar’s intervention, and have also pinned their hopes on Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai.
The ceasing of mining activities around the area appears to be the reason this rivulet, which feeds water to Harvalem Waterfall to go dry.
“Mining companies have encroached into the rivulet. In some cases, the mines have gone below the water table due to which the rivulet has run dry. But the water deficit was compensated by the mining firms by pumping out water from their pits,” Gurudas Samant, a retired teacher-cum-farmer who has an arecanut-coconut farm in the area, said.
Another farmer Anant Govekar said that never in the past has the rivulet run dry in November. “The State government should act expeditiously and pump out water from the mining pits. Or else the farms will die due to paucity of water,” he said.
After receiving the petition from farmers, Water Resources Department has sent in a team. Palyekar said the team has inspected the area and the report would be submitted to the department. “We are trying to help the farmers salvage the situation,” he said.
Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant also met WRD officials and directed them to pump out water from the mining pits as early as possible. “Speaker has issued directions that pumping water from mining pits has to be done to ensure adequate water supply to farms,” an official said.
When contacted, an official from a mining company said they will not be able to pump out water from the pits as according to the Supreme Court judgment they can’t have any activity there. “We had pumped out water last year following a request from the State government. But this year, it might not be possible,” the official said, on the condition of anonymity.
