On the occasion of world Water Day, Goa Times take a trip to the sacred waters of the Mhadei River – the main source of Goa’s portable water. The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa is a paradise for trekkers,which has a blend of tough terrain, dense forests, and stunning natural beauty. “Mhadei river is the only river among the 11 other rivers in the state that provide 43 percent of Goa’s drinking water. Most of the drinking water comes from Mhadei and its tributaries,” says Rajendra Kerkar, environmentalist. While talking he said that presently Karnataka has successfully diverted Kalasa Nala into Malaprabha. “If the necessary permissions and clearances are obtained for the Bandura project. If the Goa government fails to curtail the Karnataka’s plan then in future Goa will going to have serious problem of the portable water,” says Rajendra.Goa has only one fresh water river, unlike Karanataka which has many like Kaveri, Krishna and more. The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is considered a haven for over 200 species of birds. The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project is a long-standing dispute between Karnataka and Goa regarding the diversion of Mhadei river water. The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1999.The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North Goa’s Sattari taluka near Valpoi, and is a protected area within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Western Ghats.The Mhadei forests date back to the dinosaur period, says Rajendra Kerkar. The forest has rare and unique trees called the Myristica Vegetation swamp, which are help in the carbon sequence.
