Goa: Augmentation of Khandepar river delayed by a week

PONDA: Although authorities at Opa Water Works have asked the WRD to begin directing water from the Selaulim dam to augment the Khandepar river, the actual pumping process may be delayed for a week as the department is yet to complete overhauling the pipeline's valves.
Water from the Selaulim dam was supposed to be released from Tuesday, but since the work for maintenance of the valves began only on Monday and would take about a week to complete, the process will have to be kept on hold.
WRD executive engineer K K Ravindran, who oversees the pipeline, said the department would try to complete work at the earliest.
The Khandepar river recorded a water level of 4.82m on Monday. Assuming that the level may dip further over the next couple of days, the WRD was requested to release water immediately.
When the levels of the Khandepar fall, Opa Water Works receives 48MLD from the Selaulim dam and 35MLD water from the Ganjem water scheme, besides water from bandharas and mining pits.
Following the commissioning of the new 27MLD water treatment plant at Opa, the facility now regularly draws over 160MLD from the Khandepar river.
A total of five treatment plants at Opa in Ponda's Khandepar village enables supply of potable water to over 95% of the area of Ponda and Tiswadi talukas.