The Mhadei River, which is being affected by the Kalasa-Banduri project in Kankumbi, Karnataka, also has to deal with granite quarry operations in Guleli, Sattari.
The quarry owner has started encroaching on the riverbanks by filling it with soil. This is bound to create havoc during the monsoons; if the flow of water is blocked, the water level will rise and create a flood-like situation in Guleli, Dhamse, Bhironda and Kankire, under the jurisdiction of the Guleli panchayat.
People have raised eyebrows at the government’s silence on the issue. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government is constructing a dam at the mouth of the Mhadei River to divert water to overcome the water scarcity in Dharwad taluka of Karnataka.
These quarry operations have been going on slowly for the last two years. Around three meters of the riverbed has been filled with soil. The width of the river has been growing narrower by the day, and it will lead to disastrous consequences in time.
In the monsoon, the river is filled with water, but these quarry operations will block the flow of water, putting more than four villages at risk of flooding.
The Water Resources Department has constructed a bandhara on this river just 50 meters away from where these activities are being undertaken.
It has been observed that ever since the project was constructed, the water level during the monsoons had been gradually increasing as waste material from the quarry operations flow down the river and gets stuck between the pillars of the bandhara.
The granite quarry is located just a hundred meters away from the river, behind the Valpoi-Ponda road. Soil that is produced during excavation is dumped on the riverbank. It is also seen that granite powder and aggregate are also dumped at this site, is the main cause of polluting of the water that is stored from the Ganjem bandhara.
The government has come out with a project at this bandhara to divert water to the Opa treatment plant to fulfill the water requirements in Ponda and Margao. However, the same water gets polluted due to the quarry activities, which will affect the health of the consumers.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar has claimed that the ecology has been disturbed because of soil being dumped in the water. He said, “Permission should be obtained from the authorities before undertaking such activities, but unfortunately, the same has not been done. It’s total contempt of law and action should be initiated against the person who is involved in this matter.”
People have stated that the area where the quarry operations are going on falls under the Guleli panchayat’s jurisdiction. The illegal filling of the river has been going on for the last two years, but no action has been taken.
People have also criticized the WRD for turning a blind eye to these activities. They stated that the Public Works Department had decided to construct more treatment plants at this river, but did not assure to provide unpolluted water.
