Panaji: After months of indecision, Goa govt has finally decided to shut the right bank canal of the Tillari irrigation project from Oct 20 to allow repairs to damaged canals on the Maharashtra side. The left bank canal will be closed for repairs around 15 days later, officials said.Yogesh Patil, who oversees the Tillari works for Maharashtra, told TOI that the work order for repairs to the right bank canal was issued in Jan 2026, but the work could not begin as Maharashtra govt awaited a decision from Goa on the canal closure.The canals will remain closed until Dec 31, with water release expected to resume only in the first week of Jan, Patil said.Located in Dodamarg, Maharashtra, the Tillari irrigation project supplies 73% of its water to Goa for drinking and irrigation, while the remaining water is used exclusively for irrigation in Maharashtra. The canals on the Maharashtra side have developed leakages over the years. Patil said the repairs would involve lining them with 15cm of reinforced concrete.The repairs have been pending for the past five to six years. However, as Tillari water meets drinking water requirements in Bardez and parts of Pernem and Bicholim talukas, Goa govt was waiting for alternative arrangements before allowing the prolonged closure. The Sal barrage, developed as an alternative water source, was found to have a snag and was not ready by Oct 1, the date originally set for keeping the Tillari canals free for repairs.“The canals were constructed almost 30 years ago and have developed leakages that need to be plugged through major repair works. Initially, Goa govt had agreed to shut the canal for three months. Later, we were told that work could begin from Oct 10. Now, finally, the right bank canal will be shut from Oct 20 for repairs. However, we cannot begin the work immediately, so a few days of the closure period will be lost. We need to inform farmers in Maharashtra of the closure at least 10 days in advance. We have to be sensitive to their needs, especially now, as Maharashtra is facing a water shortage affecting its farmland this year,” said Patil.Repairs to the left bank canal will be delayed further as the water-lifting arrangements at the Sal barrage are not yet fully operational to support its closure.
