Earlier, leader of opposition and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar said pollution in the Selaulim reservoir had reached hazardous proportions.

'There have been instances where mining silt is being directly washed into the Selaulim river basin. Massive quantities of silt is being washed into the reservoir and is badly affecting the reservoir's catchment area,' he said.

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has already acknowledged the dangers of operational mining leases surrounding the reservoir which caters to nearly half of Goa's 14 lakh population.

'All these 14 mining leases will be phased out in the next two or three years because of their proximity to the reservoir,' Kamat, also minister for mining, said during the recently concluded monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly.