Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar has stated that water from the Selaulim Dam will be released to farmers for irrigation purposes by November 30.
Shirodkar was addressing a gathering after he along with Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai inaugurated a stunning tricolour light display at the Selaulim Dam on the eve of Independence Day, drawing a huge crowd to witness the spectacular display.
The gates of the Selaulim Dam which supplies water to its canal connecting agricultural lands across South Goa usually remain closed during monsoons.
The gates are opened and water supplied from the Selaulim Dam for cultivation purpose only in November when farmers start cultivating paddy fields across the catchment area of Selaulim Dam, which comprises Sanguem, Molcornem, Quepem, Paroda and some parts of Salcete.
When farmers are made aware of the date when the Selaulim Dam will be released for irrigation purposes, they can then plan their agricultural activities well ahead.
Shirodkar informed that the illumination at the Selaulim Dam during Independence Day is now in its fourth year, in a symbolic effort to raise public awareness about the preciousness of water.
He also pointed out that the Selaulim Dam has been a vital resource for the State for 45 years and emphasised the strong potential for tourism development in Sanguem taluka.
He also shared some of his department's key accomplishments, including the development of over 150 water ponds.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai used the occasion to praise the government's initiatives to grant ownership rights to families displaced by the construction of Selaulim Dam.
The inaugural function was attended by senior Water Resources Department officials Ankush Gaonkar and Jason Menezes, Uguem Sarpanch Divya Naik, and Panchayat Member Marcus Pereira.
