Goa’s notified wetland list swells to 15 as 7 more added

Draft notification for 19 water bodies awaits nod

Panaji: In a significant development for preservation of Goa’s rich ecosystem, the state government has announced the addition of seven new wetlands to its list of notified wetlands.

With this expansion, the total number of notified wetlands in the state has increased to 15, highlighting a renewed focus on environmental conservation.

The newly notified wetlands are located in both the districts. In the North district, the newly added wetlands include Carambolim lake, Batim lake, Sulabhat lake in Agassaim, Coneix lake in Priol and Tarvalem lake in Shiroda, while in the South district the new wetlands are Pali lake in Davorlim-Dicarpalim and Durga lake in Chinchinim.

This move comes as a part of the state government’s ongoing efforts to identify and protect ecologically sensitive areas.

The draft notification for 19 water bodies has also been published and is awaiting the final approval to declare them as wetlands.

Among these, the North district is home to Mayem lake, Kodal lake and Kolamwada lake, while the South district boasts of Udden lake, Panchami lake, Parra lake, Karmale lake, Dhakte lake, Ita lake, Macasana lake, Bandolem lake, Orlim lake, Vodle lake, Talaulim lake, Betal lake, Adsule lake, Manali lake, Dhulpe lake, Sapu lake and the Vodle-Dhakte complex.

Furthermore, the technical committee of the Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) has identified an additional ten wetlands for inclusion in the draft notification.

These identified wetlands include Ambulor lake, Kamala lake, Bebki lake, Bachbhatt lake, Maimollem lake, Lagoa De Cima, Moingal lake, Zuari lake in the South district, and Lamgao lake in the North district.

The approval for publication of the draft notification has been granted.

In addition, six more bodies of water as wetlands have been identified by the authorities. These include Banastarim lake in Ponda, Curca lake, Canturlim lake, Malebhat lake and Gawali-Maula lake in Tiswadi, and Khandepar lake in Bicholim taluka. These wetlands will be presented to the wetland authority for approval of the draft notification at an upcoming meeting, signifying the continuous efforts to expand the list of protected wetlands in Goa.

Wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, supporting various species of flora and fauna and providing valuable ecological services such as water filtration and flood control.