the goan I network
MAPUSA
With rains taking a much-needed break, the release of water from the Tillari dam since Thursday morning did not have any debilitating effect on any of the villages downstream.
The villages of Sal, Ibrampur and those bordering the Chapora River in Bardez were spared the blues as the water released from the dam remained much below the “alert level”.
All the four gates of the Tillari dam were opened at around 6 am at the rate of nearly 400 cu. m per second which was reduced to 330 cu. m per second in the evening.
“The release of water will continue the whole night and may be carried on even on Friday if required. There are no issues as the water is at very low level,” said M K Prasad, Executive Engineer, WRD (incharge of Tillari canal).
Incidentally, none of the locals in the four villages in Bardez were informed or alerted about the release of the water from the dam.
“The quantity of water to be discharged was very less therefore there was no need to sound an alert. The water would remain below alert level,” Prasad said.
Alert level means when the water level of the river rises to a level where people need to be warned.
“If the water level in the river comes to a particular level then we know there is something…and that people should be alerted. So nothing like that happened. On the contrary the water level was much below that level,” the Executive Engineer said.
The office of the deputy collector and mamlatdar in charge of disaster management were constantly monitoring the situation in Bardez.
“As of now only alertness and preparedness is required. No action as such is needed,” said Sudhir Kerkar, Deputy Collector, Bardez.
Meanwhile none of the locals near the Chapora River were aware of the release of Tillari dam water.
“We did not find any difference in the water level in the river. In any case there was no alert sounded. We did not know the dam water was released,” said Vishant Gaonkar, Camurlim Sarpanch.
Several locals from Pirna and Colvale also said that they did not find any unusual rise in water level in the river.
In early August, Goa faced floods after continuous heavy downpour forced irrigation officials in Maharastra to release water from Tillari dam all at once.
Low lying areas in almost entire North Goa were affected by the floods forcing the administration to swing into action and evacuate dozens of families from their homes facing the danger of being submerged.
Besides some damage caused to locals due to water entering their houses, extensive damage was reported to horticultural crops as well as the standing paddy crop of the kharif season.
