NEERI will be told to do green impact study of Virdi dam: CM

Mumbai: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday that the Maharashtra government would ask the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to conduct a study on the environmental impact of the proposed Virdi dam on both Goa and Maharashtra. The chief minister said the state government cannot oppose the construction of the dam as the state can ask for 40% of the water for irrigation and drinking.
Sawant said the moment discussions start on the construction of the dam, “environmentalists express their opinions”. “NEERI will conduct a study on the Virdi dam, and once the study is submitted, the government will examine the study and take the necessary decision.”
Sawant said that if the state requires water, “we cannot say no to the Virdi dam”. “At present, we don’t get water from Virdi for almost eight months, water flows only in the monsoon,” he said.
“If Maharashtra constructs the dam at Virdi, it will benefit the state (Goa) in the long run. If we get 40% of the water, it can be supplied to the Bicholim and Sattari talukas,” Sawant said.
He said that if the former chief minister and WRD minister hadn’t pursued the Tillari project, today, the state would have not benefited from it and got 70% of water for irrigation and drinking.
“We have to take a positive decision on the Virdi dam,” Sawant said.
TOI had earlier reported that Maharashtra sent the detailed project report of its damming schemes to Goa.