While the Goa State Biodiversity Board has strongly recommended to the WRD to use natural and traditional methods while constructing the embankment of the Sapu lake, a circular issued by Nadkarni way back on August 16, 2012, was categorical in insisting that natural material should be used more often while constructing the walls of water bodies. In fact, Nadkarni has insisted on the use of earth, laterite stones, rubble et al more often as it activates the life cycle of riverine bodies, whether it is a nallah or a tank, pond or lake.
“It has come to my notice that estimates are prepared to build concrete walls of nallah and tanks. Use of concrete should be made sparingly, wherever necessary. The site engineers concerned should visit the site and make proper provision for springs, percolation, weep hopes etc wherever necessary”, Nadkarni had stated in his circular, making it clear that use of natural material activates life cycle of riverine bodies.
Activist Ronny Dias has now demanded a probe into the concretization work of the Sapu lake by lower level WRD officials when the WRD Chief Engineer was categorical in insisting use of natural materials. “It is shocking to note that the WRD officials tendered work of the concretization of the Sapu lake when the Chief Engineer’s circular stated otherwise”, Dias said.
Questions are also being raised over the lifting away of soil from the agricultural fields by the WRD officials to facilitate storage of water in the lake for the proposed 10 MLD water supply scheme.
