Sanquelim forum objects to bandhara on Valvanti

Sanquelim forum objects to bandhara on Valvanti
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 1
The water of river Valvanti has turned red at Makar Sheno in Virdi situated three kilometres from Sanquelim where work on a five-metre tall bandhara across the width of this important tributary of river Mandovi is in full swing.
But the ongoing construction of the open-type 42-metre wide bandhara since the last one month has not gone down well with the Sanquelim Citizens Development Forum that has been opposing it since the time it was conceived in 2005. It faced stiff opposition and was finally cleared by the Sanquelim municipal council in 2007 against the wishes of the people.
On Thursday the forum’s Secretary Manikrao Kanekar arranged a canoe for media visit to the spot where the bandhara is being constructed. Kanekar maintained the bandhara being built by the State Water Resources Department, once operational, will threaten the fragile ecology of the areas on both sides of the river.
A few press persons set sail upstream in the canoe from Deul Wada to Makar Sheno in the presence of anti-mining activist Ramesh Gauns to have a glimpse of the construction of the project. The two-kilometre canoe ride upstream in the canoe during high tide presented one of Goa’s finest views with lush greenery on both sides that included mostly coconut plantations, paddy fields and other types of vegetation.
Manikrao mentioned after the bandhara was complete and functional majority of the water upstream will be diverted for use for an expansion of Sesa Goa’s pig iron plant based at Navelim in Bicholim taluka. “Of course the mining company will pay the Government a fee for the water, but who will pay for the irreversible ecological damage that will be caused to areas downstream,” he questioned.
The forum’s secretary contends between December and May the bandhara will be closed and water stored upstream. He informed around 2 lakh cubic metres of water will be stored upstream which will cause the underground water pressure to rise. “The entire stretch on Valvanti’s course leading up to the bandhara and beyond is fragile in nature. Storing such huge quantity of water will be disastrous to the soft soil on both sides of the river,” he augured. Secondly, he maintained, the salinity of the water downstream will increase.
He observed the tidal effects from the river Mandovi bring salinity and the same will drastically increase upto a length of 10 kilomtres from where the bandhara starts. The 10 km from the bandhara leads upto Sarmanas in Pilgao, he added.
Kanekar said the salinity doesn’t bode well to the agriculture in the area. The bandhara can cause flooding and if the saline water enters the agriculture area then there will be tremendous loss to people’s livelihood, he maintained.
However, Executive Engineer Pramod Badami brushed aside all fears concerning the bandhara which is being built at cost of Rs 4 crore. “The bandhara will store fresh water which otherwise goes waste. The water stored will be utilised for multipurpose tasks like agriculture, industry, etc. The bandhara will be of immense help to solve the water shortage in the area and will benefit all people,” he observed.
Badami said, “A few people had come to the WRD with their fears, but we don’t think such things will happen. The project is well designed and approved by the State Government applying its mind.”
However, WRD’s stand is not acceptable to the Sanquelim Citizens Development Forum which has filed a writ petition in the High Court against the project and the same is likely to be admitted on Monday.