Reservoirs in Goa reach capacity early this monsoon season

Panaji: Barely a month and a half into the monsoon, all reservoirs in Goa have reached their capacity, with only Anjunem very close to attaining its full level. Selaulim dam has been spilling over from its unique duckbill spillway since June 25.The dam reached its full level 12 days early this year, the earliest in the past 25 years, with the arrival of the monsoon before time. The Selaulim reservoir helps meet the water requirement for most of South Goa. The Gaunem reservoir in Canacona was also seen overflowing before time this year, on June 19. By July 2, the Panchawadi reservoir attained its full level. The dam caters to the requirement in Shiroda and surrounding areas.Even the Tillari reservoir in Dodamarg, Maharashtra, which supplies water to most of Bardez and parts of Pernem and Bicholim to meet irrigation as well as drinking water needs, reached capacity on July 2. The gates of the dam were opened in early July to allow the excess water to flow into the river. The other major reservoir of Chapoli in Canacona is already at 100%.The water level at only the Anjunem dam in Sattari is at 85.3m at present.

The dam’s full level is 93.2m; however, the gates are opened when the dam level reaches 90m. Anjunem dam is the only one that has been late to reach capacity this year. The water level touched the 90m mark by July 15 in 2024.This year, the Amthane reservoir, which caters to the requirement in Bardez and parts of Bicholim and Pernem, has been drained to carry out repairs to its gates. The repairs are being taken up while Tillari provides the alternative supply during the monsoon.

Parts of North Goa suffered an acute drinking water shortage in the winter months when the Tillari reservoir water to Goa was stopped after a canal was breached in Maharashtra.The situation turned critical as the alternative supply from Amthane could not be provided with the dam gates found jammed. Navy divers were finally deployed to help cut the gates open. These critical repair works are now being taken up on the Amthane gates while there is sufficient alternative supply from the Tillari. Chief minister Pramod Sawant has said that it will take around 12 days to carry out the repairs at Amthane reservoir.