MAPUSA
The Irrigation department said supply of water from the Tillari dam will be cut off for the next 45 days to the two treatment plants in North Goa, but PWD has said alternate arrangements have been made so that supply to consumers remain uninterrupted.
PWD has made alternate arrangement to supply water to Assonora and Chandel water treatment plants to avoid shortage of water to consumers, as water supply from Tillari dam will be shut down for almost one-and-half-month for maintenance.
The governments of Goa and Maharashtra will shut down supply of water from the Tillari dam from November 1 to December 12, to carry out the annual maintenance of canals including its tributaries. Tillari dam supplies water to Assonora and Chandel water treatment plants in North Goa. “Consumers need not worry. Supply of water will be normal as the department has made alternate arrangement to supply water to the two treatment plants,” assured V M Chavan, Executive Engineer, PWD, Water Division.
He said water will be drawn from the Sal river and supplied through the alternate Amthane pipeline. Every year, the Tillari dam is shut down simultaneously in Goa and Maharashtra for a period of 45 days for maintenance work.
In Goa, the Irrigation department will carry out maintenance work of various canals and its tributaries.
Works like clearing thick vegetation in forested areas, removing grass, clearing silt from canals and repair of deteriorated canals will be carried out as part of maintenance work, an official in the Irrigation department disclosed.
“Since water supply from the Tillari dam will be stopped, there will be no water supply from Tillari to the two treatment plants in North Goa. The PWD will have to take necessary steps to provide supply to consumers,” said P Kamat, who holds additional charge of Chief Engineer, Irrigation.
It may be recalled that last year supply of water in certain parts of Bardez was affected when Tillari dam was shut down for the annual maintenance work.
Water from the Tillari dam is being shared by the two states of Goa and Maharashtra with Goa getting major share. Goa gets 73.30 per cent of the share, while Maharashtra gets 26.70 per cent.
Besides using the water for drinking purpose, the State also uses water from Tillari for irrigation.
Tillari irrigation project’s total command area is 14,521 hectares in the three talukas of Bardez, Pernem and Bicholim, of which 11,266 hectares of land is presently brought under irrigation.
The total cost of the entire Tillari project, a joint venture with Maharashtra, including the main Tillari dam and the irrigation network is estimated to cost Rs 1,612.15 crore.
