Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has sought an official status report from Maharashtra following reports of a possible plan to transfer water from the Tillari river system to Belagavi through the Rakaskop Reservoir.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has written to Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg Irrigation Project Construction Division, asking whether any formal proposal is under consideration and seeking details of activities linked to the reported water transfer.
The communication from WRD’s Circle Office-II at Karaswada seeks copies of relevant technical documents, including project reports, detailed project reports, studies, drawings, official correspondence, meeting records and approvals associated with the proposal.
Goa has also sought information on the likely volume of water involved and the technical and hydrological basis of the proposed transfer. The department wants to understand the operational arrangements as well as the possible consequences for the inter-State water-sharing framework.
The issue is important for Goa because the Tillari system is part of a multipurpose inter-State project jointly developed by Goa and Maharashtra. Water from the system contributes to both irrigation and Goa’s broader drinking water requirements.
The latest move also comes in the wake of earlier discussions involving Karnataka and Maharashtra over water from the Tillari basin. Goa had previously voiced apprehension that any arrangement allowing additional withdrawals from the region could have implications for the water available to the State.
Goa continues to undertake work on the Tillari system to improve its water infrastructure. The State’s 2025-26 Economic Survey identifies the project as an inter-State multipurpose undertaking covering a command area in Pernem, Bicholim and Bardez.
The survey also highlights ongoing efforts to expand and strengthen the canal network and improve raw water availability for Goa’s drinking water system.
The WRD’s latest communication is aimed at establishing the facts before Goa assesses whether the reported proposal could affect its existing water interests or inter-State arrangements.
