Savoi Verem water project must not affect Khandepar salinity levels: GCZMA to WRD | Goa News
Panaji: The Department of Water Resources (WRD) is constructing a water treatment station in Savoi Verem, a dam on the Khandepar, a raw water pumping station in Muridwada and improving the Shitole reservoir in Savoi Verem. This is done to solve water supply shortages in Savoi Verem, Querim and other villages in Ponda taluka.
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has, however, listed a number of precautions that WRD must take to ensure that the ecology is not damaged as a result of the projects. The projects will mainly target villages located at higher altitudes, which are dominated by tribal people.
The GCZMA decided to authorize the work with certain restrictions.
WRD has been informed that after the construction phase it will need to periodically monitor salinity levels downstream up to 5 km from the dam site in Khandepar. The ministry has been tasked with ensuring that the average salinity levels recorded over the past three years are strictly maintained.
Dredging of the river bed has been strictly prohibited and WRD has been ordered to ensure that fish breeding habitats such as mangroves and mudflats are not affected.
“The diversity of downstream fish must be regularly monitored in association with the Fisheries Department and ICAR. WRD will submit to the authority the report on the observations obtained during the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of river water and the biodiversity of aquatic flora and fauna up to 5 km downstream of the dam site before the start of construction work. From June 2021, WRD will undertake downstream biodiversity monitoring and assessment of aquatic flora and fauna up to 5 km from the dam site, ”said GCZMA.
WRD was also invited to undertake a confidence building exercise among the communities living in and around the project area.
“No labor camp, storage of machines and material will be allowed in the CRZ area. Disposal of spoil and spoil during the construction phase should not have a negative effect on neighboring communities and be eliminated taking the necessary precautions for general safety and health aspects only in sites approved with the approval of the competent authority, ”said the GCZMA.
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has, however, listed a number of precautions that WRD must take to ensure that the ecology is not damaged as a result of the projects. The projects will mainly target villages located at higher altitudes, which are dominated by tribal people.
The GCZMA decided to authorize the work with certain restrictions.
WRD has been informed that after the construction phase it will need to periodically monitor salinity levels downstream up to 5 km from the dam site in Khandepar. The ministry has been tasked with ensuring that the average salinity levels recorded over the past three years are strictly maintained.
Dredging of the river bed has been strictly prohibited and WRD has been ordered to ensure that fish breeding habitats such as mangroves and mudflats are not affected.
“The diversity of downstream fish must be regularly monitored in association with the Fisheries Department and ICAR. WRD will submit to the authority the report on the observations obtained during the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of river water and the biodiversity of aquatic flora and fauna up to 5 km downstream of the dam site before the start of construction work. From June 2021, WRD will undertake downstream biodiversity monitoring and assessment of aquatic flora and fauna up to 5 km from the dam site, ”said GCZMA.
WRD was also invited to undertake a confidence building exercise among the communities living in and around the project area.
“No labor camp, storage of machines and material will be allowed in the CRZ area. Disposal of spoil and spoil during the construction phase should not have a negative effect on neighboring communities and be eliminated taking the necessary precautions for general safety and health aspects only in sites approved with the approval of the competent authority, ”said the GCZMA.
