PANAJI
The Water Resource Department has recently notified the ‘The Goa State Water Policy, 2021’, stressing the need to generate hydroelectric power using water resources to make Goa self-sufficient in terms of hydroelectricity.
“Hydropower generation can be explored on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis while keeping all other rights on water and infrastructure with the department,” states the policy document.
According to the policy document, the Electrical Power Survey of the Central Electricity Authority estimates the peak power demand in Goa for FY2018-19 as 949 MW and energy requirement as 5572 MU.
“Goa’s indigenous power generation capacity, all of which is in the thermal sector, is about 65 MW. Goa meets its balance power requirements by signing power purchase agreements with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).”
The steep river profiles are conducive to power generation. The hydroelectric potential of the Mandovi basin has been well identified. Implementation of hydro-power projects needs to be expedited, the policy document adds.
The policy document states that engineering and other institutions should be promoted to carry out research and development in water resources as Goa does not have an independent research institute.
The report also suggests that encroachment in flood plains should be removed to avoid flooding in the State.
The report suggests regular in-house training and expertise training from institutes in neighbouring states should be given to WRD technical staff.
Possibilities of desalination of seawater to provide drinking water to coastal areas shall be explored, the report adds.
