MAPUSA
With Ganesh Chaturthi fast approaching, work on desilting of part of the River Tar and simultaneous clearing of water hyacinth got going on Sunday.
The water resources department (WRD) put an amphibious machine into action in the river to remove the invasive weed which had covered a large area of River Tar.
The work is part of annual activity to desilt the river and clear the area which is the main Ganesh immersion site.
People of Mapusa and Bastora use the site for immersion of Ganesh idols during the visarjan.
Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira who took the initiative to desilt the river along with locals visited the site on Sunday.
“I had raised the issue with WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar on desilting of the Ganesh immersion site. For the first time we have got an amphibious machine to clear the water hyacinths. Now, only part of the river will be desilted for Ganesh immersion. The major work of dredging the River Tar will be taken up later,” Ferreira said.
The WRD Minister had recently told the Goa Legislative Assembly that the entire stretch of River Tar will be dredged and a retaining wall will also be constructed on a certain stretch to pre-empt flooding in Guirim and other areas during the monsoon.
The Aldona MLA informed that after desilting River Tar, work on desilting of immersion sites at Bastora, Ucassaim and Pomburpa will also be undertaken.
