After locals protest, WRD to raze bhandara in Usgao

Ponda: Bowing to pressure from Khandepar locals, the water resources department (WRD) has decided to demolish a bandhara near MRF company in Usgao, Ponda. The bandhara was lying unused for several years but villagers were apprehensive that the rubber factory is blocking and withdrawing water which was going to the Khandepar river.
WRD pours around 35MLD water from Ganjem into the stream passing from Dhatwada-Usgao near MRF to rejuvenate the Khandepar river in the summer when the river level dips.
“The bandhara was constructed in 1990 and the MRF factory used to draw water from it. However, the factory has laid a special pipeline now to fetch water from the river directly and the bandhara has been abandoned,” Arun Naik, WRD executive engineer, said.
Usgao residents are apprehensive that MRF is still withdrawing water from the bandhara. People are also demanding that the bandhara be removed if people are not using it, Naik added.
He added that the state government recently laid a foundation stone for the new water supply scheme at Ganjem and the WRD has been procuring pipes to lay a direct line from Ganjem to Khandepar river.
Attempts to remove the bandhara will start from Tuesday, Naik said, adding that after the new pipeline from Ganjem to Opa River is laid they will pour about 110MLD water in the Opa basin instead of 35MLD.