Panaji: The Command Area Development (CAD) Board of the Goa Tillari Irrigation Project, which met on Wednesday, decided to expand the command area by adding 293 hectares. Water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar said after the meeting that 32 hectares will be left out of the command area.The CAD Board approved a proposal to omit parts of the command area across Calangute, Parra, Assagao, Anjuna, Latambarcem, Revora, Sarvan, Torxem, Mayem, Dhargalim, and Bicholim.The meeting took place amid renewed attention on a proposal linked to casino firm Delta Corporation. Last year, the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB) moved a proposal to the state cabinet seeking denotification of command area land to facilitate Delta Corporation’s “integrated resort development project”.TOI had earlier reported that, more than a year after the state cabinet decided to denotify 3.3 lakh sqm of Tillari command area land at Dhargalim for the proposed project, Shirodkar said govt would not proceed with the denotification.The proposed project includes three hotels, a convention centre, a multiplex, a retail area, a water park, banquet facilities, and a children’s entertainment zone, among other components. State govt also waived Rs 5.5 crore that the water resources department had sought as notional charges.The Tillari Irrigation Project is an interstate project undertaken for Rs 1,465 crore to irrigate a command area of 14,521 hectares in Goa. The dam is located in Maharashtra, and canals have been constructed in both Maharashtra and Goa. Water from the dam is supplied for irrigation and drinking purposes through two canals: the left bank main canal (LBMC) and the right bank main canal (RBMC).
