Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa is losing nearly 40 per cent of its drinking water due to leakages, overflow, theft and other system inefficiencies, the state government informed.
Minister for Drinking Water Subhash Phal Dessai said that water losses occur due to multiple reasons including aging pipelines, pipe bursts caused by pressure fluctuations, corrosion, illegal connections, faulty meters and overflowing storage tanks.
The minister explained that old cast iron and asbestos cement pipelines are more vulnerable to cracks and leakages, while factors such as high water pressure, corrosive soil, ground movement and temperature variations further aggravate losses. Leakages also occur in small-diameter service pipes connecting main lines to households.
While the average Non-Revenue Water (NRW) across the state stands at about 40 per cent, the government stated that it is difficult to quantify the exact percentage of loss caused specifically by leakage and theft, as NRW also includes unbilled consumption, non-functional meters, flushing of pipelines, fire-fighting use and free tanker supply.
The minister informed the House that pilot studies were conducted at three locations between 2011 and 2013 under the Capacity Development Project for NRW Reduction in Goa to assess the extent and causes of water loss and to suggest corrective measures.
On pipeline replacement, the government said it is a continuous, phase-wise process. Currently, 217.08 km of old pipelines are being replaced, while the remaining old pipelines are targeted for replacement over the next three to seven years. Several proposals are also at advanced stages of approval.
Regarding water theft, the government stated that no major cases have been reported, apart from occasional misuse of domestic connections for construction or commercial purposes. Provisions exist under water tariff rules to levy penalties and reclassify such connections after due inquiry.
