After 50 days, water is again reaching North Goa from Tilari Dam, now people will not have water problem

Water supply to North Goa from the Tilari Irrigation Project resumed after a gap of nearly 50 days as its main gate, which was closed for routine repairs, was opened on Wednesday morning. Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodak has given this information.

Speaking to PTI, Goa Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar said the routine maintenance work on the Tilari irrigation project had ended on December 26.

The main gate of the project was opened at 5.40 am on Wednesday, after which water started flowing in the canals, he said. The water will reach Porvorim (near Panaji) by tomorrow (Thursday).

The project, which takes care of the drinking water needs of the North Goa district, was closed for maintenance on November 8.

After that, additional water was being pumped from the Asanora plant to meet the water requirement in the North Goa district after the temporary closure of the Tilari project, he said.

He said, though efforts were made to ensure that water supply remained uninterrupted, water shortage was faced during some periods. Now with the start of water supply from the Tilari project, the water shortage will be removed.

The Maharashtra government has repaired a three-kilometre-long stretch of its canal, while Goa has started "canal lining" work on a nine-kilometre-long stretch.

Shirodkar said, after this, there will be no point in doing the work of lining the canal for the next 10 to 15 years.

He said that the Goa government is working on a project by spending Rs 250 crore to avoid water shortage in case of closure of the Tilari canal.

Shirodkar said 350 MLD (million litres per day) of water would be lifted from the river as a part of the project with a pumping station being set up at Sal village in North Goa near the Maharashtra border.