Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: With rising temperatures becoming a major concern, water scarcity also raised its ugly face in several parts of Canacona, while PWD had already begun to service these affected areas with water tankers.
Water is being supplied through Water Tankers to the areas of Polem and Shellim (in Loliem-Polem village), Avali, Bordem, Yedda and a few other areas in Khotigao village, besides some parts of Khola village in Xelpem, Vagon and Saleri, where the groundwater resources have already dried- up. Besides there are a few pockets in Gaondongrim where tankers meet water requirements’, informed JE Deepraj Madkaikar in Canacona PWD (water-supply).
According to PWD sources, a total of four (4) water –tankers have been hired/rented to supply water to the affected areas, out of the annual requirements of around 7 water tankers.
There is, however, a regular and unaffected water supply through Taps in almost all the villages and municipal areas serviced by the PWD (Water-Supply).
Incidentally, according to PWDE (WS) Canaocna, there are around 30 areas in different parts of the taluka serviced under Rural Water Supply Schemes (RWSS), under which water is tapped from the ground source within the concerned areas and supplied to the residents. The RWSS sites however by the end of March month begin to show signs of water drying up and PWD responds by supplying water through water tanks to service these areas and meet residents’ water needs engaging around 7 water tankers to meet the requirements.
‘This year about 10 such areas have already dried up as of date, and the department has already begun to supply water to these areas by engaging 4 tankers so far,” sources said.
Incidentally, according to sources, PWD (Water-Supply) normally floats tender for the supply of water to the people of Canacona for a period of about 68 days during the summer months. This year too the tender is accordingly floated, approved and finalised for hiring 7 tankers for a period of 68 days to the Canacona section, however, just before the issuance of expenditure sanction and release of work-order, the declaration of Lok Sabha polls (which brought –in code of conduct into force) jeopardized the tender finalisation. However, according to sources, Canacona PWD (WS) after putting up a proposal for in-principle approval in view of the drying-up of several areas and none of the residents should suffer for water needs in the taluka, has sought to engage 4 tankers to meet the water-requirement-needs in around 10 of the RWSS areas. The rates of each of the tankers with stainless steel tanks having a capacity of 10,000 cu. of water storage depends upon the kilometres ranges of 30km, 40km, 50km, etc., informed the source.
‘As more RWSS areas will dry up, more tankers will be engaged to supply the water needs of these areas. These tankers are also diverted to other affected areas, wherever interruptions of regular tap water supply are noticed.’, informed the PWD JE Madkaikar.
