Editor, Goemkarponn
AERIAL VIEW
Forget 24×7 water supply Mr Shirodkar, people of coastal areas like the Calangute, Candolim Sinquerim, Reigs Magos, Anjuna and so on are struggling to get even a 2.47 minute water supply daily.
If the Water Resource Minister is ignorant of the fact that the people of these areas have to wait for three days to get their water, he must get to know them. Several memorandums and protests have gone on deaf ears.
PWD water tankers which supply water is become another huge scam under the guise of water supply to people as people complain they get one tanker and PWD bills about 10 tankers. Shocking isn’t this?
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
On Sunday, Water Resources Minister Subash Shirodkar made a promise that Goa would get 24×7 water supply by December 2024, about 14 months from now.
It seems like another assurance which cannot be met at least for now with the existing water supply infrastructure and the threats to mother Mhadei from both Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Also, this looks to to be a joke like the one the government announced that Goa is the first State in the country to achieve Har Ghar Jal.
Forget 24×7 water supply Mr Shirodkar, people of coastal areas like the Calangute, Candolim Sinquerim, Reigs Magos, Anjuna and so on are struggling to get even a 2.47 minute water supply daily.
If the Water Resource Minister is ignorant of the fact that the people of these areas have to wait for three days to get their water, he must get to know them. Several memorandums and protests have gone on deaf ears.
PWD water tankers which supply water is become another huge scam under the guise of water supply to people as people complain they get one tanker and PWD bills about 10 tankers. Shocking isn’t this?
Another issue is the existing infrastructure, the old pipelines have corroded and need quick replacements quickly but the government which splurges crores on events has no money for these projects.
Asks a PWD worker and he would tell you what the situation is but they too are helpless as the funds have to be sanctioned by the government.
It so happened that last week there was no water supply to our locality in Saligao and we were told there was a breakdown on Chogm road.
The work went on for three days and as we visited the site to see what the breakdown is all about and why it takes so much time, we saw the workers struggling.
“The pipeline is no stronger then mud,” said the worker. He said the moment they repair one side, there is a ruplture somewhere else.
“These are decade old pipelines, which need replacements and till the work is done the breakdowns will continue,” he said.
As such, Saligao faces a breakdown every week. This is not only the case of Saligao, it is a matter throughout the State and the government which boasts of Har Ghar Jal and 24×7 water, seems to be sleeping on the files and estimates.
On one hand, the water bills continue to swell but the water supply decreases, this is the state of affairs in PWD, where no one seems to be concerned about the people’s issues.
So Mr Shirodkar, while getting Raw Water is your subject as WRD Minister, the treatment and supply to people is the subject of PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral and hence you should refrain from making any Jumlas on water.
Instead, the WRD Minister should work harder to see that the water of Mother Mhadei diverted by Karnataka is brought back to Goa.
Enough of this Jumlebaazi and get back to work. We know elections are round the corner and such statements will come on daily basis and hence people must take them with the pinch of salt.
