Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Raising concerns over the delay in blocking of Bhandaras across the Canacona taluka, progressive farmers and horticulturalists WRD has not yet closed/blocked existing Bhandaras compelling wastage of water and threatening Rabi cultivation including farming and horticulture.
According to sources there are over 42 Bhandaras in Canacona taluka, and every year these Bhandaras which are opened during and after first rains in June month, are closed every year by 10th of November.
However, this year, due to extended monsoons and post monsoon rains , the Bhandaras were not closed as rivers were still flowing violently in many parts as rain continued.
However, it’s been over a fortnight since the monsoons officially ended and even post monsoon rains stopped, not many bhandaras in the taluka continue to remain open and water simply keeps on receding in the rivers.
A progressive farmer,Prasad Velip who is also engaged in horticulture productions says including himself and many farmers and horticulturists have demanded with the water resources department to block the Bhandaras and stop draining down down the river waters, so that farmers won’t suffer lack of water for this irrigation purposes.
“We are reaching the end of November and still the Bhandaras are not blocked /closed as yet and the rivers and streams continue to flow-down slowly draining the water resources.’
Says another horticulturist, ‘If the concerned department (WRD) fails and delays to block the Bhandars with blocking- plates, it may become difficult for the farmers to get water for their horticulture’.
Including Khotigao, Dabel, Mane, and several other river-beds dries up if Bhandaras are not blocked, and the water thus blocked in these Bhandara Storages- which becomes only source of water resources, to most of the farmers, not only rabbi cultivation but even horticulture produce will badly suffer.
The farmers and horticulturalists are demanding that these dams should be completed as soon as possible, before it gets too late.
Meanwhile efforts to contact some WRD officials have failed till going to the press
