While the threat to the River Mandovi from Karnataka isbeing slugged out at Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal by Goa, a new menace isquietly taking shape at Shidbachemol in Virdi Village of Maharashtra’s Dodamargtaluka. A 840 metre long, 60 metre high earthen dam is fast getting readybetween the Temb and Talyacha Vhalacho hills of Virdi. The dam will not onlydevoid Goa of 0.5 MLC (1200 litres) of water but also deviate the Kattika Nalluthat carries this water to Valvanti, an important tributary of the Mandovi.
“We have already constructed a 300 metre long tunnel thatwill take the water from the reservoir to Haltar Nulla from where the waterwill turn into Maharashtra,” points out Assistant Site Supervising EngineerNaik to an underground channel that disappears under the 600+ metre highhillside.
Investigations at the site reveal that the masonry work ofthe earthen dam is more than 55% over as all the three rivulets that fl ow downthe Temb “ Talyacha Valacho hillside are now routed through a single channeland dammed downstream.
Interestingly, a similar pattern of development of the dam emergesat Virdi akin to the Kalasa Canal in Kankumbi (Karnataka).
“Virdi village and its jurisdiction do not fall under anykind of forest area, hence no MoEF permission is required here”, explains Naik.The speed at which the hills have been cut and the earthen dam has come up inthe horseshoe shaped valley is a pointer to this fact. The forest zone is allaround the valley.
The dam is being built to irrigate a 1,345 hectare area ofTalekhol, Vazare, Aai and Girode villages in Dodamarg taluka, with provisionsto generate power as well. The Rs. 59.01 crore project has had a costescalation running of almost 100% as the dam’s height and width has beenamended from initial 40.33 metres to 60 metres and the length to 840 metres,almost three times the initial estimation of 238 metres.
As Goa watches helplessly, the threat to its most iconicriver grows with each passing day.
