Goa government may ask promoters of proposed golf course projects in North Goa district to desalinate sea water and use it for the water intensive facility.
The state tourism department is also mulling to frame a policy for promoting water harvesting through tourism-related projects in the coastal state.
"In near future, we might ask them (golf course promoters) to desalinate water from sea and use it for their project," Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told reporters yesterday.
A conglomeration of hotels is setting up the golf course at Tirakhol, a coastal village on Goa-Maharashtra border.
The proposed golf course, spread over 12.50 lakh sq metres, is facing protests for being water intensive and opposition Congress has demanded scrapping of the project for displacing villagers.
Parulekar also said rain water harvesting would be made compulsory for tourism projects in the state.
"World Tourism Day observed on September 27 also has a theme of water conservation which is in sync with UN General Assembly's declaration of 2013 as International Year of Water Cooperation," he said.
Moreover, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), a wing of state tourism ministry, has decided to harvest rain water and recycle currently used water.
GTDC chairman Nilesh Cabral told reporters yesterday the sewerage treatment plants installed across almost all hotels owned by the corporation is an unique effort to reuse water.
"Residencies would be soon equipped with rain water harvesting facilities, which would be installed during their renovations," he added.
