-------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be better informed CONSUMERS. Remember 5th June is World Environment Day !! ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- The Ecological Tragedy of River Sal - Part IV -----------------------------------------------------
by NANDKUMAR KAMAT Although this is the final article on Sal River in this series, the plight of Goa's lotic waterbodies would be further highlighted next week by focusing on Baga, Nerul, Sinquerim, Verem, Aguada estuaries impacted heavily by tourism. Goa needs more public-spirited citizens like Mr Antonio Correia Afonso, founder of Benaulim environmental trust and Siddarth Karapurkar a young entrepreneur from Navelim involved in creating mass awareness to save the local water bodies. Both of them took serious note of this series of articles and have agreed to organise a meeting of all stakeholders interested in giving a new lease of life to the tormented Sal River. People from Verna, Consua, Cuelim, Cansaulim, Arossim, Majorda, Calata, Seraulim Benaulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona, Cavelossim, Nuvem, Margao, Navelim, Sirlim, Deusua, Chinchinim, Cuncolim, Assolna, Velim and Betul have a stake in eco-restoration, conservation and sustainable management of the river. The future of the river is not in the hands of the government but on the interest and environmental willingness of the local people who need to put this matter high on the agenda of their respective village panchayats. There is need to appoint a River Sal Basin Management Authority (RSBMA) under the supervision of the water resources department. The survey of India toposheets (1994) are useful in pinpointing the intricate hydrographic features of River Sal. Landform changes in the Sal River basin have not been studied. But it is possible to compare hydrographic features from the toposheets with data from field inspections and satellite images from 2002-2005. The northern catchment of Sal River shows an intricate hydrography. This catchment now falls in the heavily industrialised belt stretching from Sancoale to Verna industrial estate. Vast paddy fields cover the area between NH-17 A and the South Central railway line. This area stores millions of cubic metres of water before it drains through the small channel of Sal River. Right in the centre of this massive paddy belt, almost equidistant from Nagoa- Verna and Arrosim? there is a convergence point of four streams. This point would be very important for conservation of the upstream catchment of Sal River. Private property rights and reclamation of paddy fields may cause problems in management of the stream confluence. The unnamed convergence point gives the main channel of Sal River its' present serpentine identity till it becomes an estuary near Mungul-Khareband area. Two major streams join the Sal River before it crosses the Verna- Majorda road. Then the river follows an interesting course almost parallel to NH 17 A between Verna to Nuvem. This is the second important catchment of the river, because between Verna Polytechnic to Nuvem cemetery not less than 11 small seasonal streams, all originating from the western face of Verna-Nuvem range of hillocks cross the NH-17 A and discharge in River Sal. This is an ill maintained and erosion prone stretch of Sal River watershed. All these streams need to be resurveyed and restored to ensure unhindered fresh water flow during the monsoons. The next catchment is Murda, Nuvem to Mungul, which is one of the rapidly urbanising regions on the outskirts of Margao. The low-lying paddy fields between Calata to Duncolim and Duncolim to Mungul need to be marked as no development zone because it is the age-old flood silt deposition zone of the river. Drainage of a vast area between Nuvem to Borda, Margao depends on these paddy fields. Two streams emerging from hilly regions of Mandhur and Manora, Raia drain this area and discharge the waters in Sal River. Between Mungul to Sirvodem there is a smooth bend in the river. It seems artificial because the settlements of Margao are exactly parallel to this bend. It means that the course of the river had altered. Earlier it could have been flowing closer to Comba area. If constructions come close to the eastern bank of the river then Margao would get flooded. The salinity of the river increases as it reaches Sinketim, Navelim. We find the northernmost saltpans in this area. The tidal effect becomes stronger beyond Sinketim. It is pronounced at Varca. From Varca to Betul, River Sal becomes a truly tropical estuary. Varca to Betul catchment therefore needs to be treated differently. The Sirlim sluice gate close to NH-17 A indicates the depth of the tidal influence in the Sirlim creek. At Dandora near Cuncolim, Sal estuary extends its' backwaters still deeper. This point would be very important for linking Sal estuary to Zuari River by constructing an artificial navigable canal, if such a need arises in the future. However such a grandiose project has vast ecological and economic implications with both advantages and disadvantages. The western bank of Sal River shows a delicate balance of catchment. In comparison to the eastern bank, there are very few saltpans on the western bank. But we need to admire the tremendous engineering work executed by the Gaunkaris of Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim by building an artificial drainage system linking low-lying fields of Fatrade to Cavelossim to Sal estuary. This almost linear creek does not appear to be natural. It needs to be properly maintained. A few years ago, I had identified a little known river, which bears no name on toposheets or in government records but appears to be the southernmost small tributary of Sal estuary. The six kms long river originates as a small stream at 'bhatapanto' near Shantadurga temple, Fatorpa. Once it enters Maddimol, Ravangal valley it encounters the saline waters of Sal estuary at Betul. I had named it as 'Fatorpa River'. Its' catchment is important for the future development of minor port of Betul. The huge freshwater flow in the deeply contoured Maddimoll valley can be impounded during monsoon and effectively used for irrigation. The little known Fatorpa River completes the drainage picture of Sal River basin. It does not need rocket science for effective, efficient and sustainable management of Sal River basin. But there is a tendency in Goa to waste too much time on academic issues without attempting simple, practical, low cost, time bound solutions. The worlds best sustainable river eco-restoration technologies are available with the European Union (EU). Goa needs to partner with countries, which had also traumatised their river ecosystems in a rush to become rich but learnt their mistakes after a heavy price was extracted by nature. Physical and material development in Salcete has been subsidised heavily at the cost of the health and longevity of River Sal. These negative externalities have been summarised in the present series. A well-maintained Sal River is South Goa's ticket to better quality of life, employment and prosperity. It is high time that the people and the politicians of Salcete realise this fact and work unitedly over this issue (concluded). -------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 27/4/09 page 10 -------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ----------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ----------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------
