from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, May 27: The state government on Tuesday May 27 said that Maharashtra has stopped work on Virdi dam on the state border following cropping up of differences over the dam site.
 
"As a result of various persuation by the state government, the government of Maharashtra, as informed, has decided to stop the work on the Virdi dam immediately and in the second week of May 2008, 50 per cent of the machinery was shifted from the site," a press hand-out by department of information and publicity stated.
 
Construction of a dam on Valvonti river at Virdi village bordering two states which began on consensual note hit the road block when the dam site was allegedly shifted by Maharashtra government.
 
"Goa had no serious objection to the dam as it involves no outside the basin diversion (of water) and Maharashtra was to consider taking up the project as a joint venture for the benefit of two states and allowing Goa to divert surplus water to Anjunem dam," the hand out mentions.
 
"During December, 2007, it was reported that Maharashtra had started the construction of Virdi dam," it stated.
 
What sparked off discontent with Goan authorities is the alleged change in site by Maharashtra government. As against the proposed site on Haltar nallah, located one kilometre away from point of entry of the river from Maharashtra in Goa, it was found that dam axis was shifted by four to five kilometres upstream.
 
"The dam was no longer on the main Haltar nallah as earlier and instead on Kattika nallah which is a tributary of Haltar river," the note states.
 
Following this, state authorities wrote letters to Maharashtra counterparts requesting to stop the work on the project with immediate effect.
 
The matter was also discussed in a meeting between Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat and Maharahstra counterpart Vilasrao Deshmukh recently.
 
The hand-out mentioned that team of officers led by both the states visited the site and have submitted their preliminary study.
 
"As informed by the government of Maharashtra, the discussions on the Virdi dam would be held with Government of Goa during the months of July or August 2008 for deciding on the matter," the hand-out added.