Team Herald
MARGAO: Water will be released in the Paroda canal latest by the end of this year assured Assistant Engineer Rameshwar Sawant who wants to release the water before his retirement, which is due in December 2019.
The 16.72 kms long Paroda canal that starts at Quepem and ends at the tank in Macasana after meandering through Paroda, Chandor-Cavorim and Guirdolim has 375 hectares as its command area of which at least 200 hectares are cultivated.
Farmers have been demanding that the water be released by December so that they can cultivate the second paddy crop and after that grow some vegetables as was being done earlier. However, for the last many years, the water was released only in January and very often at the end of the month.
Last year, WRD had suggested that the Paroda canal be closed for one year to enable the department to clean the tertiary supply channels of the canals which are getting blocked due to growth of trees over the channels.
Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias even held meetings with farmers of Chandor-Cavorim, Guirdolim and Macasana to get them to agree to close the canal for one year. However, the farmers objected to the closure and hence the department was compelled to look for alternative.
WRD has now issued the work order to repair the main canal and the same is broken into 4 segments and the whole work is tendered for Rs 30 lakhs. While the first and last segment admeasuring 9 kms has been bagged by VXL Company, contractor S Jalil has bagged the tender for 2.5 kms while five kms length is yet to be allotted.
While the contractors will repair the main canal, Eng Rameshwar proposed to use the 12 labourers of the dept, to clean the tertiary canals of the trees that have grown there and are blocking the smooth flow of water.
