Dams recover after prolonged summer, water levels rise

PANAJI: As Goa received incessant rainfall for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday, water levels in reservoirs in the state have begun to recover from one of the most prolonged summers Goa has experienced in the last 35 years.
With the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the Anjunem dam - which was the worst affected this season - had only 6% of its water capacity left. Water levels have begun to recover fast now with the dam 10% full, and most of this increase is from heavy rainfall over the last five days.
Anjunem is Goa’s second largest dam and water from the dam helps meet the drinking water requirements of Sattari, Bicholim and parts of Bardez. The sharp dip in its water level before the monsoon began this year, had caused concern in the state.
Like Anjunem, Selaulim too has seen its water level improve by 4% and within five days of the monsoon, the level has now touched 20%. This reservoir supplies water to meet the needs of Margao and Vasco, besides, Sanguem and Quepem talukas and other parts of South Goa.
During the last monsoon, Goa received a rainfall deficit towards the end of the season in August and September. To add to this, in 2018 there were few post-monsoon showers. Rainfall during the later part of the monsoon determines the water levels in the river basins and consequently in the water reservoirs, which is used at the dams until the arrival of the next monsoon. Due to insufficient rain during August and September in 2018, river basins and water reservoirs saw their water levels dip unusually low in the summer of 2019. The delay in the arrival of monsoon worsened the availability of raw water in Goa during the summer. It even led the state government to carry out an assessment, which showed that one of the reservoirs had only 13 days’ supply of raw water left. But now with heavy showers during last week of June, the minor water reservoirs at Panchwadi, Chapoli and Amthane too are recovering fast, similar to Selaulim and Anjunem.