Panaji, March 4 (IANS): A part of the Tillari canal network located in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district is so poor that it can collapse with just one knock, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Tuesday.

He was responding to a question on the feasibility of the Tillar dam, which is a joint undertaking between the Goa and Maharashtra governments.

"I can only say that our (canal) construction is not as bad as the part done by Maharashtra. There it can just fall if someone kicks it," Parrikar said, commenting on the poor construction of the Maharashtra-end of the Tillari irrigation project.

The Rs.1,612 crore Tillari dam project was commissioned in May 2009. It is aimed at fulfilling the potable water needs of south Maharashtra and north Goa.

The canal network provides water to three sub districts in the north Goa area, namely Bicholim, Pernem and Bardez. The latter two are vital for Goa's tourism industry.

The dam is not fully functional and has been plagued by controversy due to collapse of canals and protests by displaced villagers in Maharashtra, who claim they have not been provided jobs promised to them when their land was acquired by the state government.