PONDA: The Usgao locals on Monday strongly opposed to the ongoing water pipeline work through nullah from Ganjem-Usgao to Opa-Khandepar.
The discussion to stop the work went for almost two hours. However, Water Resources Department (WRD) Executive Engineer Arun Naik said that at this stage he can’t stop the contractor from doing his work of laying pipeline in nullah which is going since last year and in case if the locals stop the work then OPA Treatment Plant would face major water crisis in next few days. As a responsible officer, he can’t stop work. However, we heard grievances of the locals opposing the pipeline in the nullah and assured to place the issue before the higher-ups.
He said, “This is a Rs 110 crore project to supply water from Ganjem to OPA. If the work stops then OPA would face water crisis in next 10 days. However, today we heard the grievances of locals opposing pipeline in the nullah and assured to put before the government.”
The OPA Water treatment Plant at Khandepar which was supplying 140 MLD water to Tiswadi and Ponda after commissioning of new 27 MLD water its capacity reached to 167 MLD per day and so the WRD in order to augment additional water requirements has started laying 1000 mm dia pipeline from Ganjem “bandara” on Mhadei River flowing from Sattari to Usgao. The water pumped from this river would be diverted to OPA Khandepar River where OPA Treatment Plant is operating.
Earlier, Ganjem River “bandara” was releasing around 35 MLD water through Dhavshirem nullah to Khandepar River but due to rising water requirement now WRD recently launched its ambitious Rs 100 crore project to supply around 110 MLD water from Ganjem River “bandara cum barrage” to OPA Khandepar plant for which WRD instead of pumping and releasing water through nullah decided to lay 1000 mm diameter pipeline from Ganjem River to OPA Water Treatment Plant.
Out of Rs 100 crore around 55 crore are allowed for pipeline laying 1000 mm diameter pipeline work from Ganjem to OPA plant.
It is learnt that 9.7 km long pipeline would be laid to pump water from Ganjem to OPA plant which is also necessary to augment the need of new 27 MLD water treatment plant beside 140 MLD old plant.
Of the total 9.7 km pipeline, 7.5 km from Ganjem to Dhavshirem is coming by the side of road cutting while 2.2 km long will be laid underground Dhatwada nullah by digging two metres deep and land filling so as to allow nullah flow its original level.
Accordingly, the contractor had already laid around 1.4 km long pipeline through nullah just when locals of Dhatwada on Monday confronted him and opposed to laying around 800 meter long pipeline at Dhatwada claiming that the nullah meets their water crisis during summer.
