Panaji, Jun 23 (IANS): Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has demanded a grant of Rs 700 crore from the Centre for Goa to construct dams and to enhance the capacity of existing dams as well as to prevent soil erosion.

Sawant on Saturday attended the pre-budget meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and placed the demands.

He said that there is a need to strengthen the water reservoirs and also protect coastal areas from soil erosion.

“I have demanded Rs 700 crore for water augmentation projects and for taking measures to stop soil erosion,” he said.

Sources informed that the Water Resources Department is planning to construct new dams in the coastal state.

The Chief Minister said that these initiatives are essential for Goa's development, and expressed certainty that they will be included in the upcoming Union Budget 2024-2025.

Sawant had recently urged locals to take bamboo production to protect coastal areas from soil erosion.

“We have focused on bamboo plantation. Wherever there are rivers and beaches, soil erosion is taking place on a large scale. We can stop this by planting bamboo,” Sawant said.

According to the Environment and Climate Change department, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) in the Beach Carrying Capacity Report has observed that overall for a coastal stretch of about 105 km, 35 per cent of the coast is rocky terrain, 20 per cent of the coast is stable, 27 per cent is under erosion and 17 per cent of the coasts experiences accretion.

MLAs from the coastal areas of the state had complained about the soil erosion taking place on beaches, which is affecting the tourism business.