K’taka DPR now also plans diversion of the Surla into Kalasa nullah

Keri: Even as the final award by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal does not allocate water from the Surla nullah — one of the tributaries of the Mhadei — the Karnataka’s approved detailed project report (DPR) now also proposes to divert this water into the Kalasa nullah. Karnataka has already begun work to reverse the natural flow of the Kalasa from the Mhadei basin to its Malaprabha basin.
Various rivulets like Chorveschi Nadi, Maan vhal, and other streams drain into the Surla nullah, which eventually flows into the Kalasa.
This Surla nullah tumbles down into the Barazanacho waterfall and later on becomes the Ladkecho waterfall and Jalavatecho waterfall.
All all these play a significant role in enriching the wildlife and ecology of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary of Goa, which has tigers, sloth bears, leopards, and other wild animals.
Now, Karnataka’s recently approved DPR of the Kalasa-Bhandura project plans to divert water by intercepting six sub-nullahs of Surla through the construction of check dams within Karnataka’s borders.
As per the award given by the tribunal on August 14, 2018, Karnataka has been allocated use of 1.72tmc ft of water through the damming and diversion of the Kalasa and the Haltara nullahs.
This new DPR mentions that water will be intercepted and transferred to a receiving chamber through a gravity feeder pipeline, which will run perpendicular to the six check dams. Further, the intercepted water will be received by another receiving chamber constructed near the confluence of the Kalasa and the Surla nullahs.
Water stored in the diversion dam built across the Haltara nullah at Chorla will be diverted to the reservoir of the Kalasa dam, proposed to be built at Kambarves in Kankumbi forest range of Karnataka.
A jack well-cum-pump house is also proposed at the foreshore of the Kalasa dam, and from there water will be lifted and conveyed through a 2.83m diameter pipe covering a length of 2,880m. The water will go into the already constructed inter-connecting canals which will join the Malaprabha.
The Surla, which flows through the forest of Surla in Dongurli-Thane panchayat, is also the main source of drinking water for the villagers.