Govt calls for soil investigation for minor dams in Mhadei river basin

Panaji: The state government has invited bidders for soil investigation and foundation exploration at the Cajumol and Tatodi dam sites in the Dharbandora taluka to ascertain the feasibility of constructing minor dams, each having a water storage capacity of 5,000 hectare metres.
The minor dams will be constructed in the Mhadei river basin. The investigation has to be completed within two months, excluding the monsoon.
In his budget speech, chief minister Pramod Sawant had said that the government has planned three new projects for the utilisation of the Mhadei’s waters. These include the minor dams at Cajumol and Tatodi.
WRD chief engineer Pramod Badami said the successful bidder would need to inform the government if the soil foundation at both sites is suitable for the project. “The investigation will find out what type of soil exists — sandy or stony — and accordingly, further decisions can be taken,” he said.
Both dams are being constructed to provide water for drinking and an excess, if any, will be used for irrigation, Badami said.
Once the soil investigation and foundation exploration studies are completed, the state will once again invite bidders to design the minor dams and conduct studies with regard to storage capacity, the quantity of rainwater that will be trapped and how many areas are likely to be submerged owing to the projects.
While the proposal for the construction of a dam at Charavane in Sattari taluka, designed to have a storage capacity of 246 ha m, is awaiting clearance from the forest department, construction of a barrage at Sal in the Bicholim taluka, having a storage capacity of 650 ha m, has been tendered.
Dams have also been proposed at Shigao and Sancordem in the Dharbandora taluka, at Nirankal in the Ponda taluka, and at Dongurwada, Nanora and Sonal in the Sattari taluka. Surveys are in progress for these works.
Over three decades after a masterplan was drawn in 1999 to utilise the Mhadei’s water by envisaging 61 projects across the river, Goa has only the Anjunem and the Amthane reservoirs to show. It had even submitted before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal that it intends to meet the demand for its ‘major uses’ through these projects and that 61 dams are required to meet Goa’s water requirement up to 2051. But except for the two reservoirs, the other 59 projects continue to remain on paper, with the state initiating the process for 10 minor dams just two years ago.