CANACONA
The fisheries department have installed 48 fish cages in Chapoli dam reservoir under the reservoir cage fish culture project and high quantity of fish feed is being released in these cages.
During their protest, some residents complained to PWD AE Lester Fernandes that the fish-feed released in the dam water in large quantities can be dangerous. They added that this fish-feed, besides motor boats, release contaminants and affect the supply of dam water. They further alleged that there was neither treatment nor filtration of the Chapoli dam water, which is being supplied to the people. The aggrieved residents also suspected that stagnation of dam water had added to the contamination of Chapoli dam water supplied to consumers.
"Water stagnation in the Chapoli dam reservoir is certainly a matter of concern," said a resident. When contacted, Fernandes rejected the allegations of the protesting residents. "Every month, we send samples of water treated at the Shristhal water treatment plant to the Panaji laboratory, but no negative test reports have come so far," said Fernandes.
Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes also expressed some doubts about claims by protesters that the pisciculture project had contaminated the water supply. "Reservoir Fish Cage Culture also exists in other dams and no untoward incident has been observed in test reports," he said.
"Regarding water stagnation in Chapoli dam, we feel WRD has to rework a road plan, to ensure that the dam get its water without any hindrance," the MLA said adding that "At present, the Chapoli dam's catchment area does not have perennial water sources and is solely dependent on seasonal streams. We have a suggestion to WRD to include a perennial river from Sacleawaddo into the catchments area of Chapoli dam." he added.
