Some marginal farmers in Canacona taluka prefer to supply water from bandharas to their agriculturists’ fields thereby depriving water for human consumption
With water becoming a scarce commodity in Canacona, clandestine attempts are being made to divert water to fields at the cost of drastically reducing the water levels at the bandharas.
Some marginal farmers in Canacona taluka think it otherwise and they prefer to supply water from the check dams (bandharas) to their agriculturists’ fields thereby depriving water for human consumption.
According to some locals, agriculturists are backed by local politicians, who own vast tract of agricultural land in Canacona, and have used their might to construct bandharas in the streams adjacent to their agricultural property under various government schemes.
At Ordhofond in Poinguinim, the PWD Water Supply Department had augmented a water supply scheme about two decades ago, to supply piped water and through tankers to over 600 houses in the area. The department had also installed a pump house and a 100 HP motor. Despite these efforts, the department cannot supply water to the parched lips because the catchment areas are now dry. Moreover, beneficiaries of the bandharas don’t allow the sluice gates to be opened to permit water to flow downstream, where the water used to be pumped by the PWD.
Facing and acute shortage of potable water, residents of Poinguinim, Sadolxem and adjoining areas protested and the PWD water supply division of Canacona drafted a letter to the Water Resource Department (WRD) of Canacona.
According to WRD sources, the PWD requested the farmers to allow them open one sluice gate at the upstream bandhara. But the water released is insufficient for the pumping of water from the Ordhofond Water Supply project, which has to cater to the vast needs of the domestic consumers.
“Many bandharas are constructed on the streams and the works are undertaken and maintained by three divisions of the WRD, two from Canacona and some under the jurisdiction of Quepem WRD,” informed a WRD source.
A survey revealed that there are seven bandharas along the river and most farmers have abandoned agricultural cultivation and have left their agricultural field fallow due to shortage of labourers to till their fields. But they are unwilling to allow the WRD and the PWD to open the sluice gates to allow the free flow of water to the downstream.
Speaking to Herald, Lourence Fernandes said residents of Sadolxem and Talpona have been getting water from the rivers and streams that is not treated and is unfit for human consumption.
“We have communicated to the government to solve our drinking water woes within one week, else we have threatened to stage protests along with our womenfolk, who refuse to cook food with the untreated water,” said Fernandes.
