The administrative approval for the project which amounts to Rs 38.8 crore comes a decade after the completion of the Gaunem Dam at Gaondongrim, but the approval comes with four strictures/conditions
The Gaunem Dam in Gaondongrim-Canacona.
Photo Credits: The Goan/File photo
CANACONA
The PWD Principal Chief Engineer U P Parsekar has given administrative approval to the work to design and construct a 5 MLD Water Treatment Plant including operation and a maintenance period of five years at Gaunem-Gaondongrim.
The administrative approval for the project which amounts to Rs 38.8 crore comes a decade after the completion of the Gaunem Dam at Gaondongrim, but the approval comes with four strictures/conditions.
The four conditions stipulated in the administrative approval stated that the tenders shall not be invited unless the land is acquired and no recruitment under Work Charged Establishment shall be made for this work.
Besides, necessary funds should be available with the Division to take up this new work and the tenders should not be invited unless the detailed estimate is prepared and technically sanctioned by the competent authority.
The Gaunem dam was completed somewhere in 2016 at a cost of Rs 21 cr and with a storage capacity of 177 hectare-metre. The dam was supposed to provide 5 million litres of water per day (MLD) not only to address the domestic use but basically meet the irrigation purpose of Gaondongrim and Khotigao villages. The areas which are hit by acute water shortage during summer are Nane, Indrawada, Bharsa, Bhuper, Tudal, Ziltawadi and Satorlim in Gaondongrim and many parts of neighboring Khotigao village.
The Gaunem dam was constructed under WRD, but it relinquished further responsibility of providing water to needy areas on gorund that its job was to construct the dam, and PWD (water supply) has to make further arrangements for its supply.
Since the dam was constructed, land acquisition has been primarily one of the main challenges.
This problem was largely solved during the term of former dy speaker Ispeaker Fernandes, by convincing and obtaining NoC’s for constructing canals, ground level and overhead tanks, but the dam (Gaunem dam) continued to remain a white elephant for over 9 years.
The conditional administrative approval to construct the 5 MLD Water Treatment Plant at Gaunem dam is one of several works being pursued under Canacona Vision and Mission-2030,
Sources from Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar’s office states that with the continuous follow ups and efforts by the speaker, a long-pending demand for enhanced water supply in Canacona constituency will get a major boost.
Incidentally, it is learnt that the NOC to house the Overhead Water Tank is still not yet finalised, which is the first condition of the administrative approval.
