Team Herald
PONDA: Khandepar villagers, supported by environmentalist Ramesh Gawas, have objected to construction of a bandhara across Opa-Khandepar River, near old bridge, for blocking flow of fresh water into saline water.
Khandepar River is a tributary of Mhadei River flowing from Karnatka on which Opa water treatment plant is constructed; it later flows into sea as River Mandovi and thus affected by tides.
The villagers and environmentalist Gawas inspected bandhara site at Khandepar River on Saturday; they were shocked to see hundreds of truck loads of mud dumped into river. Gawas said that dumping of mud has degraded the river.
During the inspection, the locals asked the contractor for permission, but he failed to produce one. Later, the locals complained to the Ponda police, who rushed to spot and temporarily stopped the work. A complaint was also lodged with the Water Resource Department.
He criticised the government and WRD department for allowing massive degradation of the river by dumping mud after extracting pebbles and sand.
“This is violation of environment laws, CRZ rules which will destroy marine life,” Gawas said and warned that the villagers would launch an agitation for saving Khandepar River.
It is learnt that, on the demand of some locals, the government is constructing the 3-meter high bandhara to separate fresh and saline water.
Locals supporting the bandhara say that saline water destroys their bagayat crop cultivated on the bank of the river, hence wanted the project to their crops.
