Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa is expected to have adequate drinking water reserves to meet demand through May despite the shortfall in seasonal rainfall, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar said on Sunday.
Shirodkar said the Water Resources Department (WRD) had built up sufficient reserves and storage capacity to provide a cushion during the summer months, with the state also having access to multiple sources of water.
He said Goa’s natural water resources, coupled with dam storage and contingency arrangements, would help the state meet its drinking water and irrigation needs.
The minister said the state’s water management system was designed to withstand rainfall significantly below the normal levels received in Goa.
“While Goa traditionally expects around 110 inches of rain, our department’s storage capacities are robust enough to manage complete water security even with just 80 inches of rain,” Shirodkar said.
As part of its summer preparedness, the WRD is also tapping alternative sources. Shirodkar said between 40 and 50 million litres of raw water per day is presently being drawn from mining pits and supplied to the Padoshe water treatment plant.
Adequate storage in the state’s major dams, he said, would further strengthen the reserve position, while interstate water channels could be utilised whenever required.
Shirodkar said the combination of stored water and supplementary sources would help the state maintain drinking water supplies during the peak summer period.
The minister said Goa would therefore enter the summer with a substantial reserve, despite the rainfall deficit recorded during the season.
