Goa asks miners to release pit water into drying rivers

Goa government has asked mine owners to pump out water from the mining pits into nearby rivers, as their water level has started dwindling with the onset of summer.

In the notices issued to the mine owners, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has asked them to pump out water in the rivers that feeds reservoirs like Opa water supply and Selaulim Dam.

“It is observed that water level in Khandepar River has considerably reduced. In this regard, you are requested to start the pumps at the pits and release water into Khandepar River to maintain water level of Opa water supply plant,” a notice issued by WRD executive engineer Peter Paul D’Souza, reads.

The stoppage of mining industry in the state has resulted in the halt of activities at various mining leases. The mine operators have been regularly pumping out water from the pits into the river, thereby maintaining the water level.

A senior WRD official said that in the absence of the water not being pumped from the mining pits, the river levels are going down drastically.

“When there is no water in the river, the reservoir faces water shortage, leading to shortage of water for drinking and irrigation purposes,” he said.

The mines have stopped functioning since September last year after the Supreme Court imposed a temporary ban on the extraction and export of the ore.

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