Manohar Parrikar seeks Maharashtra's Chief Minister's help to resolve Tillari issue

PANAJI: Fortnight after canals of Tillari irrigation projects went dry due to protests by villagers from Maharashtra, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought help from the neighbouring state in resolving the issue.

Parrikar spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan yesterday, seeking his intervention to resolve the issue after water supply was stopped by people from Sindhudurg district in the neighbouring state, he told PTI today.

The Chief Minister said he spoke to Chavan pointing out that there is an agreement signed between both the states to share water from the project, which needs to be honoured.

"I am positive that he will resolve the issue," he said.

Several villagers from Sindhudurg district are protesting since a fortnight inside the canal in Maharashtra section stopping the water flow to Goa.

The villagers are demanding that Goa government should honour its assurance given during conception of this project. They claim that Goa had assured to give government jobs to the people from Maharashtra who were displaced due to construction of the project.

The project has been supplying water to three talukas of Goa - Bicholim, Pernem and Bardez. The construction of the dam began in 1986 and was completed in 2010.