NT Reporter
Panaji
Following a delayed start to the monsoon that drove water levels down to alarming lows in June, Goa’s reservoirs have begun to recover thanks to a recent revival in rainfall.
Until July 1, the sharp drop in reserves had raised serious concerns across the state. However, the latest data from the Water Resources Department indicates a steady improvement, even as the current levels continue to trail behind the near-capacity storage recorded at this time last year.
Selaulim dam, the state’s largest reservoir and the primary source of drinking water for South Goa, currently stands at 74% capacity, while the Tillari reservoir, which supplies Bardez, Bicholim and Pernem talukas, is 70% full.
Among the state’s other reservoirs, Gaunem has reached 81%, Amthane 70%, Panchawadi 58%, Chapoli 56% and Anjunem 40%. By comparison, during the same period last year, Selaulim, Tillari, Gaunem and Panchawadi were already overflowing, while Anjunem and Chapoli had reached 90% and 70% capacity, respectively.
The delayed arrival of monsoon had forced the government to consider emergency measures last month, including pumping 40 to 50 million litres per day of water from the Pissurlem mining pit to the Podocem water treatment plant.
On June 15, Anjunem dam had plummeted to just 10% of its storage capacity, prompting the WRD to halt water releases for irrigation. With the state’s seven dams still short of maximum capacity, water discharge has not yet commenced, except at the Tillari reservoir.
To help secure the state’s long-term supply, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said that the overall storage capacity across all state dams has been expanded.
