Team Herald
SANGUEM: Sanguem Deputy Collector has directed the Water Resources Department officials to keep a check on the people visiting the backwaters of Selaulim Dam, at Curdi.
At a special meeting held on Friday, the Deputy Collector also told them to vouch for possibilities of putting gates at the entry point to the old Curdi village, which bustles into tourism activities, during the month of April and May, when the water level at the Selaulim Dam recedes.
As the area surrounding of Selaulim Dam is in the custody of Water Resources Department, the department is responsible for the maintenance of the sanctity of this place given its very importance at the State level.
Deputy Collector Sagar Gaude and Mamlatdar Manoj Gaonkar brought to the notice of the WRD officials of the damage that the leftovers dumped by the visitors at the Selaulim backwaters would cause in the long run to the Selaulim Dam.
“These leftovers in the form of plastic bags, beer cans, liquor bottles and other non-degradable items will get deposited in the Selaulim Dam and this may cause severe problems in the operation of Selaulim Water Treatment Plant,” claimed the officials.
Taking cognizance of a viral video of a community offering prayers at Angadi ward of Curdi village, which is also under submergence, the officials found that few families of this community were residing at Angadi since prior to the construction of Selaulim Dam.
The members of this community are also reported to have been offering prayers at Angadi since last few years on the same lines as is done by people from other faiths. This year, however the issue gained importance after someone made viral a video showing the community offering prayers at Angadi. A community flag and some modifications to an old structure are however reported to be new in the village. Sanguem Mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar directed the WRD officials to keep a strict vigil on such activities in the village during April and May.
Korgaonkar said that a Talathi and some other staff from the Sanguem Mamlatdar office will also be on a regular visit to Curdi village to keep supervisory checks and stop any unwanted activity being conducted in the village.
Korgaonkar informed that most of the visitors to the old Curdi village are found to be not wearing masks and maintaining social distances and this is likely to lead to increase in Coronavirus cases in the village.
Last year, the officials had banned entry of all visitors to the Selaulim Dam as a precautionary measure to stop spread of Coronavirus cases and for that matter police force was deployed at either end of the road to Curdi village during day time.
