Mining Leads South Goa for Water crisis

Mining in South Goa's adivasi hinterlands belt is creating not just all round problems to the adivasi communities but is threatening to engulf entire Southern past of Goa. John Fernandes writes on water scarcity that is soon to hound Goa if mines - that operate inside Salaulim Water dam reservoir catchment areas - are not stopped immediately.

South Goa now a day is heading towards water problem. That most of the natural water resources are getting dried up and water needs of the people are to be satisfied by supplying water through tanker. In the years to come that may be after 5 to 10 years the problem will be aggravated and which will a main problem. This will surely happen if no
immediate measures are taken by the administration at this juncture.

That the main source of water supply to entire south Goa is from the Salaulim dam which falls in Sanguem taluka. If any problem arises to the pipeline entire south Goa runs dry particularly in Salcete, as in Salcete most of the natural resources of water have been destroyed and some are on the verge of destruction. The water of which is not suitable for consumption.

That presently in the catchments areas of Salaulim dam, there are a dozens of illegal mining’s are operation. Some of the mines even directly dump the mining rejection in the Salaulim water bodies. The way the mining is going on in the catchment area’s of Salaulim Dam that after about 5 to 10 years that due to siltation the water storing capacity of the dam will drastically reduce. Secondly due to reckless mining in the Catchment area of Sanguem and Quepem the fresh water storing bodies like the hillocks, mountains , plateau which are supplying water to the Rivers, springs, Nallas or to the Salaulim dam are drastically getting destroyed .

That in the years to come demand for fresh water will increase may hold on the other hand, as mentioned above the water storing bodies will reduce , which ultimately result in imbalance and crises.

That even today some parts of Salcete , Quepem, Sanguem are facing water problem. That as water supply is met through the Salaulim water pipeline most of the big hotels, Industries etc. functioning in Salcete area’s have dug bore well, even the PWD (Public Works Department) tankers which supply water to Salcete is from the bore well which mean million liters of fresh water is pumped everyday. This will ultimately in the years to come results in imbalance in the ground water of Salcete. Ones there is imbalance of ground water in Salcete which will lead to entering the saline water (sea water) into the ground which will further aggravate the water problem.

South Goa in order to solve its water problem in the near future is to have strict vigil on the reckless mining. Otherwise Goa will face water problem.