Fishing boat on the River Sal (72166048)

The Sal River is a small river in

Salcete Salcete ( Konkani: ''Saxtti''/''Xaxtti''; pt, Salcette) is a sub-division of the district of South Goa, in the state of Goa, situated by the west coast of India. The Sal river and its backwaters dominate the landscape of Salcete. Hist ...

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...

, India. Thought to be the smallest river in

. The river opens near Verna and flows in south-western direction for 16 kilometers passing through the villages of

Nuvem Nuvem is a town and part of Salcete Tehsil, sub-district of South Goa district, Goa, India. Geography Nuvem is situated along the National Highway 17. Its neighbouring villages include Verna, Goa, Verna, Majorda, and Seraulim. It is located ...

Mongul Mongul () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin created the first version of the character, who debuted in ''DC Comics Presents'' #27 (November 1980). Jerry Ordway created the sec ...

, Seraulim, Colva,

Margao Margao or Madgaon is the commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It stands on banks of the Sal river and is the administrative headquarters of Salcete sub-district and South Goa district. It is Goa's second largest city by population a ...

, Benaulim,

Navelim Navelim is a census town and fast growing suburb of the city of Margao located in the Salcete sub-district of South Goa district, Goa, India. It has a large parish and has played a crucial rule in South Goa politics at some stage. The regi ...

Varca Varca () is a census town in South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. Geography Varca is located at . It has an average elevation of 0 metres (0 feet). Beaches Varca is renowned for its beaches, hence it has become a popular d ...

, Orlim, Carmona,

Dramapur Dharmapur is a village in the district of South Goa, Goa, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most po ...

Chinchinim Chinchinim (''Chinchone'') is a census town in Goa state, India. It is located in the Salcete ''taluka'' of South Goa district. Prior to achieving the current status of a small township, it was considered one of the biggest villages of souther ...

Assolna Assolna ( '' Konkani'':असोळणें or Osollonne) is a village, considered a town for census purposes, in the Salcete sub-district of South Goa district, in the state of Goa, India. It is known for restaurants, ferry, the small traditi ...

Cavelossim Cavelossim is a village in South Goa district in the state of Goa, India. The town hosts a well-known beach at the southernmost tip of the Salcete beach stretch that starts from Majorda in the north to Cavelossim in the south. The Sal R ...

Mobor Mobor is a town in South Goa in the state of Goa, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous ...

and drains itself into the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

at Betul. Sal river boating is also a tourist attraction. Fishing was common occupation of the local residents in the olden days which boosted the economy of the Goa but has declined due to the pollution of the river banks. In past few years rapid Urbanization, encroachment, deforestation and wastage dumping led to severe pollution and loss of marine ecology. Local residents of Benaulim have been complaining to the Government since 2008 about pollution and the dumping of garbage into the river and residents of Carmona have raised a

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth ...

petition to stop a "mega-housing project" which it is feared will add to the pollution. On 4 February 2018, the Central Government of India sanctioned a project worth Rs. 61.74 crore for controlling the pollution on the river Sal.

References

External links

Rivers of Goa Geography of South Goa district Rivers of India {{India-river-stub