MAPUSA
The State Water Resources Department (WRD) is preparing to shut down the flow of water through the Tillari canal for three months from October 1 to December 31 to facilitate major maintenance and repair works, particularly on stretches of the canal in Maharashtra.
The proposed shutdown, which is awaiting approval from the State government, could have implications for North Goa’s water infrastructure, including the Porvorim and Pilerne water systems, although the WRD has maintained that drinking-water supplies will not be affected because adequate storage arrangements are being planned.
“We have moved a proposal to the State government to shut down the Tillari canal for three months beginning from October 1. The proposal is yet to be approved,” WRD Chief Engineer Dnyaneshwar Salelkar said. The Tillari system is a critical source of raw water for North Goa. Water from the canal is supplied to the Assonora and the Porvorim water treatment plants, while the canal network also caters to irrigation requirements.
The proposed shutdown also assumes significance for the Pilerne area, where the government is developing infrastructure to draw raw water from the Tillari canal.
The government had said that a 30 MLD raw-water pumping station at Calangute on the Tillari canal is being developed to cater to the Pilerne Industrial Estate and surrounding villages of Calangute and Saligao. The government has also been working to augment raw-water infrastructure for treatment plants at Assonora, Guirim and Pilerne. With the canal flow proposed to remain shut for an extended three-month period, the availability of water for the Pilerne industrial area and other non-drinking-water requirements will be an important issue, particularly if the shutdown coincides with the commissioning or ramping up of the new infrastructure.
Salelkar, however, said the department had made preparations to ensure that the closure does not affect drinking-water supply.
“The shutdown of the canal will have no impact on drinking water supply as adequate storage preparation has been made,” he said.
The need for the prolonged shutdown stems from the deteriorating condition of the canal and repeated breaches and seepages reported along various stretches.
Major strengthening and renovation work has already been undertaken on the Goa side, with the government allocating around Rs 128 crore for redesigning and strengthening the canal network.
Earlier works included strengthening of a 4.5-km stretch of the Left Bank Main Canal feeding the Assonora and Porvorim treatment plants.
The Tillari system is an inter-State irrigation project, with the dam located in Maharashtra supplying water to North Goa for drinking and irrigation. The Left Bank Main Canal enters Goa and feeds major treatment facilities including Assonora, Porvorim and Pilerne, while the Right Bank Main Canal serves areas in Pernem and feeds treatment facilities including Chandel, Mopa and Dhargal. The vulnerability of North Goa’s water supply to Tillari disruptions was evident during earlier canal shutdowns. In late 2023, a closure for maintenance lasted more than a month, and the Porvorim plant remained affected, forcing the authorities to make alternative arrangements, including pumping water from the Sal area into Amthane reservoir for treatment. In April this year too, a breach in a major pipeline near the Tillari canal crossing at Colvale disrupted water supply to several parts of Bardez, including Porvorim, highlighting the dependence of the region on the Tillari-linked water infrastructure. The WRD’s proposed three-month closure is expected to allow the authorities to undertake maintenance at multiple critical stretches, particularly in Maharashtra, in coordination with their counterparts there. The department has been holding discussions with Maharashtra authorities before finalising the shutdown schedule.
