MOPA: In all, there are 43 natural springs located in the villages around Mopa International Airport. However, these springs face the threat of running dry on account of the airport project work.
One such natural spring is located in Tulaskarwadi just a few metres from the Mopa Airport runway has dried as the flow of water has been blocked due to the ongoing link road project work.
The Supreme Court, while according the final go-ahead for the project had stipulated that the airport work should be carried out by preserving the surrounding natural springs.
Bhaskar Narulkar, a local said, “The spring has dried due to damage caused to the environment as a large number of trees have been cut for the airport work. Earlier, the villagers were totally dependent on this spring water for drinking and other purposes. The locals have curtailed their visits to the spring as they use tap water for drinking and other purposes.”
Narulkar said, “The government should find out why the spring has run dry and what has blocked the flow of water. The government should work on safeguarding the other springs which face danger due to the airport project.”
He demanded that the government pay serious attention to this issue.
Narulkar said, “On the day of Holi, as per tradition all the locals visit the spring to bathe as they believe that the spring water has medicinal value. No precautionary measures have been taken with regards to the discharge of sewage at the airport. If no serious thought is given to the release of sewage the spring will get polluted and the locals will suffer,” Narulkar said.
