CANACONA
It was taken up for construction in 2012 and completed in 2017, but the Rs 21 crore Gaunem Dam, which is located at the outskirts of Gaondongrim, is yet to provide a single drop of water to people and for irrigation purposes in the taluka.
This is the situation of the Gaunem Dam, a 5 MLD Minor Irrigation Dam constructed to provide water for irrigation purpose and domestic use in Gaondongrim and Cotigao, but without any pipelines, storage tanks and even a water treatment plant.
The Gaunem Dam, which has height of 28 mtrs, length of 26.5 mtrs, depth of 8 mtrs, 66 mtrs RL (Reduced Level), storage of 177.00 Ham and a catchment area of 1.35 sq. kms, had an initial cost of Rs 13.24 crore, which later went up to Rs 21 crore.
However, the WRD monitors the dam which virtually overflows in June itself or by the beginning of July.
SCARCITY
Residents in the Gaondongrim and Cotigao are aggrieved with the government over its inability to provide them water from the Gaunem Dam for potable or irrigation purposes.
Ulhas Gaonkar from Ziltawadi-Gaondongrim, who was seen transporting untreated water in a plastic can on his two-wheeler from Gaunem Dam, said: “Our taps mostly run dry, and if ever we do get water, it is only for an hour or two.”
“When we make a noise, the tanker comes only once a week and we have to literally hunt for potable water. This is our fate in spite of having a dam full of water in our neighbourhood.”
“We regularly pay our bills, but when they (PWD) release water to our taps, it is an occasional affair and since the last three months, our taps are dry.”
Added Uhlas Madiwal of Gaondongrim: “It is useless to approach officers. Whenever we do approach them, they’ll send one tanker. How can 300-400 litres of water suffice our needs, it doesn’t even last for a day for us.”
“Water problems are everywhere, be it at Indrawada, Nanem, Ziltawada, Satorlem or anywhere you go, you will find people are struggling for water. Many people with vehicles take their cans and draw untreated water from the Gaunem dam.
Another resident claimed that with the amount of water available in the Gaunem dam, the Gaondongrim and Cotigao villages could have received 24-hr water supply, while also providing water to Shristhal, Poinguinim and Loliem.
SITUATION
Following his election as Canacona MLA in 2017, Isidore Fernandes was confronted with water complaints in Gaondongrim and Cotigao, despite the Gaunem Dam being completed.
With no provision made to set-up water treatment plant, storage tanks and pipelines, Fernandes took the WRD to task and began getting estimates for necessary works and to obtain NOCs for the pipeline and water storage tanks.
By August 2018, a Rs 46 crore project was technically approved to lay water pipelines, overhead tanks and a treatment plant at the Gaunem Dam in Gaondongrim village.
PWD had also identified areas at Karvem, Bupar, Barse (in Gaondongrium), near the Panchayat, Avali and Kuskem (in Cotigao), and Amone-Poinguinim to construct the overhead tanks.
Fernandes began seeking cooperation of locals to grant their NOCs once the actual area location was identified in those areas. Fernandes, however, lost the assembly election in 2022 and the matter went into cold storage.
CHALLENGES
When asked about the status of the Gaunem Dam at a recent news conference, Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar admitted that the issue had been complicated.
“It is not that we don’t want to commission the Gaunem Dam, but to pump water and build storage tanks for the dam, we have encountered some objections in Karvem area,” said Tawadkar.
“We are splitting the Gaunem dam into three phases. a treatment plant will be set up on phase one. As for building water storage tanks, we have encountered problems obtaining NOC at two-three places, and then, we will have to lay pipelines. It is, however, very difficult to complete this project before one year.”
