MAPUSA
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has initiated a comprehensive exercise to assess gaps in the utilisation of water from the Tillari canal system and frame strategic interventions to improve irrigation efficiency and agricultural outcomes in North Goa.
To this effect, the department has floated a tender for appointing a consultant to conduct an “Impact Assessment and Strategic Intervention Study for Optimal Utilisation of the Tillari Canal Command Area in North Goa.”
The proposed study will evaluate the existing status of water utilisation, management practices and infrastructure across three talukas “ Bardez, Pernem and Bicholim “ covering a total of 64 villages and a command area of over 10,900 hectares.
Bardez accounts for 30 villages, Pernem 16 and Bicholim 18 villages under the canal command.
According to WRD officials, the objective of the study is to identify operational and institutional bottlenecks affecting irrigation delivery and to recommend measures for strengthening canal infrastructure management, improving water use efficiency and promoting sustainable irrigation practices.
The findings are also expected to contribute to enhanced crop productivity and improved rural and tribal livelihoods.
The selected consultancy will be required to carry out participatory rural appraisals, GIS-based mapping, socio-economic assessments and institutional reviews of existing systems.
Capacity-building initiatives for agriculture societies and Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) will form a key component of the study.
As part of the intervention strategy, the consultant is expected to suggest the implementation of improved irrigation systems in select pilot villages in each taluka, which could later be scaled up across the command area.
The scope of work also includes preparing policy recommendations aligned with existing central and state agriculture schemes.
The WRD expects the study to provide a roadmap for optimal utilisation of Tillari canal water and help maximise the long-term benefits of the irrigation project for farmers in North Goa.
