Ponda: The water resources department (WRD) has begun to release water from the Selaulim dam into river Kalay after they successfully conducted a trial on Thursday.
Every year before the summer, 48 MLD water from the Selaulim dam is released into Kalay for the augmentation of the Khandepar river basin from where the Opa water works fetch water for treatment for Ponda and Tiswadi.
Anticipating that the level of Khandepar basin may dip this week, Opa water works had asked WRD officials at Selaulim to release the water immediately. The level of river Khandepar was 4.76m on Friday.
The WRD was supposed to commence releasing water from Tuesday, but was delayed as the overhauling of valves of the pipeline was pending. The trial was conducted after the servicing and repair of the valves.
Officials at the Opa water works said that water would reach the Khandepar river by next week as it takes time to spread into the six bandharas along the Kalay river before reaching Khandepar river.