The Hindu Business Line : Is the Sanctuary dammed?

BY about 7 a.m., we were at the 1.78-sq.-km Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, located in the mangrove island of Chora on the easily flowing Mandovi river, gazing at birds from a country boat. The river is as relaxed as a Goan. We climbed into a paddle boat, rowed by boatman and guide Uday T. Mandrekar, took our seats on plastic bottle racks and moved quietly towards an area packed with mangroves.

In the morning stillness, one could hear a variety of bird calls, and Mandrekar identified them with ease — though for us it was not that easy. We spotted a few Brahminy kites, with a few atop bamboo poles which held in place fishermens' nets strung across the river. From about 20 ft, one saw a Brahminy kite perched on a bamboo pole call wheezily, and it did not fly away as we moved closer. Paul got busy with his camera, while Arnold Noronha, Vivek Balkar and oneself scanned the edges of the Chora island to identify a couple of white ibis and egrets. One counted four white ibis, each the size of a village hen; one flew overhead, offering a close-up of its long, stout, black downward curved bill.

The silent paddle boat helped us get quite close to various water birds, and at Chorao Island, we alighted. Common sandpipers and egrets were busy feeding in the marshy area as there was a low tide. From behind a clutch of mangroves, a couple of white-breasted water hens strayed towards us before pulling back. We stood still to scan their movement with bare eyes. One finally stepped out daintily and started searching for food. We matched our observation with Salim Ali's to realise the Old Man's perfect description: "A familiar slaty grey sub-tailed long-legged marsh bird with prominent white face and breast, and bright rusty red under the tail," and we could not better it.

We walked the thin muddy trail on the island crowded with mangroves (they are mostly left undisturbed) and were surprised by a small blue kingfisher sitting on the top of a cement bund.

By about 10.30 a.m., the high tide started and we made our way back. "During winter months, foreign tourists crowd the area in search of migratory birds," informed 28-year-old Madrekar, who has been operating his paddle boat for the last 12 years. He is familiar with most of the birds though he may not satisfy bird experts as he has not had a chance to update his skills. The sanctuary has a one-km walking trail from near the spot where ferryboats take the public across the Mandovi river to Panaji. The trail stretching into the river takes one into thickly located mangroves, which at one time was a common sight in Mumbai.

But will the Salim Ali Bird sanctuary on the Mandovi survive? Rajendra Kerkar of Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade and the Mhadai Bachhao Andolan has been fighting against a proposal of the Karnataka government to build dams across the Mhadai river, which later on becomes the Mandovi river. Originating at Degao in Karnataka, the Mhadai river crosses into north of Goa at Cadval (an uninhabited village), runs through the Mhadai Wildlife Sanctuary, and at Vagurme becomes Mandovi, explains Kerkar. The Mandovi is the largest river, with a drainage area of 1,580 sq. km and is 87 km long.

According to Kerkar, six talukas out of 11 talukas in Goa are dependent on this river. Initially, the Karnataka government thought of putting up 13 dams at the starting point, and is now working on a plan to build three dams at Kalga, Haltara and Bhandura, with the waters being diverted into the river Malaprabha. This could cut down water flows into Mandovi river and stall the movement of barges carrying iron ore.

Reports are that the Goa government is trying to make a strong case against the idea; the judiciary is also being approached by various NGOs as it could reduce water availability in Goa. There is the other view expressed privately by some forest officials that many rivers flow into Mandovi apart from Mhadai and should not lower waterflows. For 38-year-old Kerkar, it is not that simple, as the Mhadai wildlife sanctuary (208 sq. km) will stand depleted. When the Anjunem Irrigation Project inside the sanctuary was built, it submerged four villages — Anjunem, Kelavade, Pansuli and Gullem — and if Karnataka government gets the okay of New Delhi, more villages could go under.

For the last many years, Kerkar, in his trademark sandals, has been moving round Goa villages to sensitise the villagers to keep the semi-deciduous and evergreen Mhadai sanctuary inviolate. He lives in his four-generation-old home at Keri village and has heard tiger calls in Mhadai when he was in school. There have been tiger sightings in the area but not many take it seriously in the absence of any evidence. In many ways, the Karnataka government could be doing a repeat of the Cauvery, and Kerkar admits Karnataka is running short of water. But that he puts down to deforestation, and dams will not enhance water supplies in Karnataka or Goa.

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