Panaji: A perennial waterfall in Goa, revered by local residents and visitors for its religious significance and natural beauty, has dried up, with villagers blaming it on reckless mining.

The local people claim that for the first time in decades they had seen the waterfall, located in Harvalem village near the Pandava caves in North Goa district, about 50km from here, go dry although summer is yet to set in.

A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva stands nearby and the place is considered religiously significant as people from far and wide bring the ashes of deceased relatives for immersion.

"The mines which are located upstream this waterfall have gone so deep that they have actually disturbed the water table," Sangesh Kundaikar, vice-president of the Rudreshwar temple at Harvalem, said. "The waterfall has a history spanning nearly 500 years. The people claim the waterfall has never gone dry to such an extent."

Kundaikar held the mine owners responsible. "The rivulets which feed the waterfall have thinned down. For the first time we have seen that the waterfall has dried completely in March itself," he said.

A dozen mining leases located upstream the waterfall in Sonshi village, about 5km from Harvalem, used to divert the water for mining purposes and later pump it back into the rivulet. The mine owners have now abandoned their leases following a Supreme Court order that halted mining activity.

The court had in February cancelled 88 mining leases in Goa that were renewed in "undue haste" in 2015 to circumvent a rule that made auctions mandatory.

The state government had issued a circular asking the mine owners to continue pumping water from pits because of safety issues (so that it does not cause flooding in nearby villages). But some mine owners have refused to dewater the pits.

"A majority of the mines have stopped dewatering due to which there is no water flow in the rivulet, leaving it dry," said Haresh Melwani, a mine owner and member of the Goa Mining Association.

"Some of the mines upstream this waterfall have gone below the water table due to which there is an imbalance," he added.

State mines and geology department director Prasanna Acharya was not available for comment. However, a senior officer from the department said the North Goa district collector had called a meeting of all mine owners in the next few days to discuss the matter.