Rajendra P. Kerkar/
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Fukeri, a village in Maharashtra, nestled in the chains of the ecologically rich Western Ghat mountains of Dodamarg taluka of Maharashtra, poses another danger for the State of Goa, which is already struggling to save Mhadei water diversion from Karnataka.
Work for the construction of the irrigation dam has been going in full swing in Fukeri to divert water.
Construction of a dam at the confluence of two nallhasĀ at Donikhol in Fukeri will have severe implications for the Kalane river on which the Chandel water treatment plant caters to the need for drinking water Pernem taluka is functioning.
Though the Madhav Gadgil Western Ghat Ecology Expert Committee included Fukeri in ecologically sensitive areas and the Bombay High court-ordered protection of the entire Dodamarg-Sawantwadi wildlife corridor in 2013 in cooperation with the state and the union governments, ongoing work with scant regard for the environment has posed serious threats to Fukeri.
“Presently, destroying large patches of rich forest and degrading the hydrological regime of Fukeri, work of constructing the proposed irrigation dam is going on”, said Vithoba Gawade, wildlifer from Keri Sattari, who visited the area.
He further added that without doing an environmental impact assessment, the Maharashtra government has been involved in clearing the forest in Fukeri.
Deepak Kesarkar, the MLA of the area who laid the project’s foundation stone, told the media persons that with the completion of the Dam, irrigation water will be provided to the horticulturalists from Talkat Kolzar, Shirval, Tamboli and vicinity.
As there is no need of rehabilitating any family and villagers are assured of the appropriate compensation, they have given their nod.
The irrigation dam project has received administrative and technical approval from the government in 2021 as well as the budgetary provision of Rs.65.30 crores have been made.
In 1978, Maharashtra had built the irrigation dam in Shirval of Dodamarg for catering for the irrigation needs of Shirval, Talkat areas.
However, on account of massive deforestation taking place in the catchment area, the Shirval dam, the water-retaining capacity of the Dam has been reduced considerably due to siltation.
This resulted in unfulfilling the objectives of the project, alleged environmentalists.
Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department of Goa, Pramod Badami, said, “Immediately, after receiving the information of the proposed Dam at Fukeri, I spoke with the Chief Engineer of Maharashtra and asked him to send the details of the project.”