Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa is moving to secure its remaining monsoon water reserves as rainfall continues to lag behind normal, with the Water Resources Department (WRD) planning to close around 400-500 bandharas across the State before September 30.
WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said the department will initiate the process immediately after Ganesh Chaturthi, with instructions to officials scheduled to be issued on September 22.
The move is aimed at retaining available water in the State’s bandharas as Goa faces a deficient monsoon. Shirodkar said the department has taken note of the rainfall situation and wants the structures closed before the month ends.
“After Ganesh Chaturthi, the WRD will ensure that all bandharas are closed as part of the water conservation measures,” Shirodkar said.
He also appealed to people across Goa to use water carefully and avoid wastage, stressing that conservation should remain a priority irrespective of whether the State experiences a normal or weak monsoon.
The minister was speaking to reporters during a programme in Fatorda where a water body restored and beautified by the WRD was inaugurated.
Shirodkar said water conservation remained a key priority of the government and highlighted the ‘Save Water’ campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also credited BJP Goa president Damu Naik for pursuing the restoration of the Fatorda water body, which is expected to serve as a Ganesh immersion facility as well as a recreational space for residents.
Naik said the restoration was particularly important for Fatorda, where rapid construction of high-rise buildings has increased the need for community facilities.
He said the water body would provide residents with an additional recreational area while also catering to the immersion of Ganesh idols. Around 300 idols are expected to be immersed at the site during the festival.
With the monsoon entering its final phase, the WRD’s decision to close the bandharas marks an effort to maximise water retention and prepare the State for the months ahead amid below-normal rainfall.
