Goa’s water resources department has shifted the daily water requirement of Verna and Mormugao from the Selaulim reservoir to the Kushavati river in Quepem, as the state’s monsoon season is expected to end with a nearly 32% rainfall deficit.
Water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar told the Times of India that the department had stopped using water from the Selaulim canal for the two areas and was lifting between 25 million and 30 million litres a day from the Kushavati river. The move is intended to conserve storage in the Selaulim reservoir until the next monsoon arrives in June 2027.
“For the first time in the history of Goa, we have stopped utilising water from Selaulim canal and the 25 to 30 MLD daily water requirement in Verna and Mormugao is being lifted from the river Kushavati in Quepem. It will help us conserve water in the Selaulim reservoir,” Shirodkar said.
The department is also limiting releases for irrigation. According to the minister, water is being released only where land has been cultivated, rather than being distributed indiscriminately. The Selaulim canal has not been used for irrigation because moisture remains in the soil in the region, he said. Releases will be made according to demand from farmers.
Although Goa’s reservoirs are filled to capacity, they reached those levels much later than usual this year because of lower monsoon rainfall. The department is now planning for the available water to last through the period before the next monsoon. The state typically depends on post-monsoon showers to keep soil moisture high and delay the need for irrigation releases. Last year, such rainfall continued until November, while the department currently sees fewer chances of a similar pattern this year.
The water resources department has also closed more than 400 bandharas, or river barriers, earlier than normal. Shirodkar said he had directed officials to close them by September 25 as a precaution because of the rainfall deficit and the reduced likelihood of post-monsoon rain. Such closures would normally take place around November, he said, and the decision was reviewed by the department after the initial instructions.
The minister attributed the rainfall shortage to rising temperatures and changing wind directions, which he linked to climate change. He said the state would seek data from national institutions in Goa and elsewhere on rainfall patterns before deciding its future course.
For residents, the department has urged reduced water use for activities such as washing cars and gardening. The immediate supply arrangement transfers demand away from Selaulim, while the early closure of bandharas and restrictions on irrigation releases indicate that the state is managing water availability across domestic and agricultural needs. Further decisions will depend on rainfall data, soil moisture and demand from cultivated areas.