Goa has deferred the planned shutdown and repairs of the left-bank Tillari canal until March 2027 after the backup pumping house intended to support water supplies in several northern talukas was not ready because of technical issues.
The decision was communicated to Maharashtra officials after Goa stopped supplies through the right-bank canal on October 20 for repair work. The state government had earlier planned to shut both canals for about three months from October 1, but engineers overseeing the Tillari project were later informed that only the right-bank canal would be closed this year.
Water supplies through the right-bank canal are expected to resume in January 2027. The canal will undergo concrete lining using 15-centimetre-thick reinforced concrete. It is 24 km long, while the left-bank canal stretches for 18 km.
The repairs have been delayed because the new pumping house at Sal, which was intended to provide backup supplies to Bardez, Bicholim and Pernem, was not ready by October 1. The facility faced technical issues, making it difficult for Goa to proceed with the prolonged closure of both canals at the same time.
Water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar had announced earlier this year that both canals would be shut for major repairs. He had said the canals had deteriorated over the past 30 years, particularly on the Maharashtra side. The work orders for the repairs had reportedly been pending for five to six years, while the work order for the right-bank canal had remained pending since January 2026.
The Tillari irrigation project is located in Dodamarg, Maharashtra, and supplies about 73% of the water used by Goa for drinking and irrigation. The remaining water from the project is used in Maharashtra exclusively for irrigation. The canals on the Maharashtra side have developed leakages over the years, while the canal infrastructure on the Goa side has already undergone repairs and maintenance.
The immediate impact of the revised schedule is that the left-bank canal will continue supplying water for now, but its repair timeline remains dependent on the completion of alternative arrangements. Tillari water meets drinking-water requirements in Bardez and parts of Pernem and Bicholim talukas, making the canal shutdown schedule directly relevant to the reliability of supplies in these areas.
The government has maintained that Goa has sufficient raw water despite deficient rainfall. However, the decision to postpone the second canal closure shows that the state’s repair programme is being coordinated with the availability of replacement infrastructure rather than carried out simultaneously. The next decision on shutting the left-bank canal is scheduled for March 2027.
