the goan I network
PANAJI
In a major development, the Maharashtra government is reportedly gearing up to resume the work on the Virdi dam near Goa-Maharashtra border from January.
The Maharashtra government has already made plans to restart pending work of the Virdi dam, the work of which was stopped for the last two years after a team of Mhadei Dispute Tribunal visited the site in 2015.
The Tribunal team after inspection had observed illegal work was being carried out without obtaining environmental clearances from the Central ministry. The Maharashtra government was taken to task by the Tribunal for violating norms, after which the work was stopped for two years due to lack of funds.
Now, a Maharashtra MLA has taken an initiative to restart the work by making arrangements of funds for the work.
Last week, a team of Konkan Water Resource department inspected the site and made arrangements to restart work, after environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar visited the site and came to know about the plans of the Maharashtra government.
In 2006, Karnataka started the work of Kalsa at Kankumbi and later Maharashtra also started the work of Virdi dam. It was decided to give water to Goa through the Anjunem dam. However, Maharashtra refused to give water to Goa and without giving any intimation to Goa, they started the work at Kattika Nullah.
Most of the work has been completed, and now even without taking environment clearance, they have decided to restart the work of Virdi dam.
Sources said this move
of the Maharashtra government would create huge tension for Goa.
