PANJIM: Alternate arrangements will feed parts of Goa serviced by the Tillari irrigation project after both canals of the project connected to the Assonora (Bardez) and Chandel (Pernem) were closed for maintenance from Monday. According to the Water Resources Department, the canals will be closed for two months from the Maharashtra side for annual maintenance.
The Assonora plant supplies around 140 MLD of treated water to Bicholim and Bardez, while the Chandel plant supplies 15 MLD water to Pernem Taluka.
“We have made alternate arrangements to supply water to the plants from the Assonora and Chapora rivers,” the Water Resources Department Superintending Engineer Wasmani told Herald.
The Tillari project is an inter-state project of Maharashtra and Goa to utilise the Tillari river water. The river originates from the Sahayadri mountain in Chandgad taluka of Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, crosses Maharashtra near village Maneri to enter Goa, where it is popularly known as Chapora, before flowing into the Arabian Sea.
The project consists of a storage dam across river Tillari near village Tillariwadi (Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra) and a pick-up weir across Kharari nullah, a right bank tributary of river Tillari, near village Terwanmedhe (Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra) along with canal systems to originally provide irrigation facilities in 21,197 ha of command in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district and 14,521 ha in north Goa.
Besides irrigation, the project would provide 111.465 MCM of water for municipal and industrial uses in the Goa. However, this was changed with the scope of the project being reduced from 23654 ha to 21197 ha and the annual irrigation has also been reduced from 34298 ha to 30733 ha mainly in Goa. The additional water now will be used for industrial and drinking purposes in Goa.
The Tillari left bank main canal up to Assonora has been closed till December 1 and the right bank main canal up to Chandel has been closed till November 21. Till then, the Assonora plant will get raw water from the Assonora river as well as from the Amthane reservoir. This reservoir has been augmented with almost 110-MLD water from the Chapora river. The Chandel water treatment plant will be fed raw water from the Chandel river.
