Help protect Mhadei, Goa’s coastline from climate change, Union min urged

Panaji: Mhadei is the lifeline of the state and any activity upstream by Karnataka will completely disturb the ecology in Goa, state minister for water resources Subhash Shirodkar told Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Shirodkar also appealed to Shekhawat to help Goa save agriculture spread over 10,000ha of khazan land across the state which has become uncultivable due to climate change and rising sea water levels.
“Mhadei is the lifeline of Goa. Any activity by Karnataka upstream of the river - though it has not happened so far with your guidance - will historically disturb life, ecology and the environment of Goa,” Shirodkar said at the event to certify Goa as India’s first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state held in Panaji and attended by the Union minister.
For more than three decades, the Goa government has been opposing attempts by Karnataka to dam and divert water from the Mhadei and its tributaries into the Malaprabha basin. Such diversion would affect the fragile ecosystem in Goa and result in ecological imbalances due to increasing salt water ingress.
The matter is presently being heard by Supreme Court.
“Goa has a vast coastline, and climate change and rise in sea water is bound to affect the state. Around 10,000ha of khazan land areas which starts from Panaji to Pachawadi and from Panaji to Khandepar is affected. Because of rise in sea water there are breaches in bunds and this has hit farm communities. I appeal to you and you will have to help us address this issue,” the minister said.
He said that work of protecting waterbodies in the state has started under the Amrit Sarovar mission. “Our target is that Goa should not fall short of water for the next 25 years,” said Shirodkar. He said that work in Goa has already begun on the ‘catch the rain, when it rains, where it rains’ programme of the central government. “We have already held one seminar each in north and south Goa. We have decided to organise seminars in all talukas by September,” Shirodkar said.