NT Reporter
Canacona
Water stored in Canacona’s reservoirs is sufficient for about 45 more days even if rainfall does not improve, Water Resources Department (WRD) sources said, despite falling levels in the Chapoli reservoir and Gaunem dam due to the delayed monsoon and prevailing heat conditions. Both dams are major sources of drinking water supply and irrigation across the taluka.
Assistant engineer Dhananjay Nagvekar of the Canacona WRD said the WRD supplies 10 MLD of water from the Chapoli reservoir and 5 MLD from the Talpona river to the PWD for irrigation and domestic purposes.
“In the event of a water shortage, water from the Gaunem dam would be released into the Talpona river, from where it would be supplied to the water treatment plant at Shristhal,” he said.
On Monday, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar had said that the state has sufficient water for the next month. Similarly, citing over 20 per cent storage at Salaulim and Amthane dams, Minister for Drinking Water Subhash Phal Dessai had said there was no immediate concern over water availability.
Nagvekar said that on June 16 the Chapoli reservoir level stood at 30.80m with storage at 452.10 hectare metres (ham).
At the Gaunem dam in Gaondongrim, which has a full capacity of 170 ham, the reduced water level stood at 56.84 metres, while total storage was recorded at 77.86 ham.
While pre-monsoon showers had provided temporary relief from the severe heat, much of Canacona’s annual water requirement depends on rainfall stored in the reservoirs. The rivulets, as well as the Talpona and Galgibaga rivers, are largely sustained by the Southwest Monsoon originating in the Western Ghats, supporting agriculture and other water needs in the region.
Residents of Canacona stated that with the monsoon delayed and global agencies warning of possible El Niño-related impacts on temperatures, drought conditions and rainfall patterns, people should continue conserving water and use it responsibly and wisely.
