360 water bodies in Goa are unusable now

In Goa, a recent report reveals that 360 out of 1,463 water bodies are not usable. This accounts for 24.6% of the total. Reasons for this include drying, siltation, and damage beyond repair. The census was conducted by the Union Jal Shakti ministry. Of the remaining 1,103 water bodies still in use, 700 are primarily used for irrigation. The report also highlights eight water bodies facing encroachment issues. This includes five ponds, two water conservation structures, and one tank. One water body has experienced encroachment of up to 75%. The report is the first national census of water bodies in India. It states that most water bodies in Goa are ponds. There are 571 ponds, 277 water conservation schemes, and 255 lakes or reservoirs. A large number of these water bodies are privately owned. Out of all water bodies, 96.1% are located in rural areas. The remaining are in urban areas. About 58.3% of the water bodies are privately owned. Additionally, 24% of water bodies have storage capacity filled to only half, while 11.5% are filled to one-fourth. Among the total, 720 are natural and 743 are man-made.