Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Canacona unit, on behalf of some 800 agitated residents of Bhupor village in Canacona taluka, complained to the PWD Div 20 EE at Fatorda on Wednesday that they are being deprived of their fundamental right to safe drinking water.
Some 60 residents of Bhupor were present at the time of petitioning the official to complain about the lack of drinking water in their taluka.
“On behalf of the agitated and helpless villagers who are deprived of drinking water, AAP demanded to know what steps had been initiated by the government to solve the acute drinking water scarcity and treatment in Canacona,” said Rajeshree Nagarsekar, AAP Goa convenor.
AAP demanded for a thorough inquiry into the case and for a probe of the officials for their alleged incompetence.
On April 15, a large group of AAP volunteers had met the assistant engineer of water supply at Canacona PWD office to enquire about the situation and took him for a site inspection of the villages suffering from acute water shortage.
At that time, the PWD officials had assured that they would supply 32,000 litres of water per day to the 800-odd villagers by tankers. “However, only one tanker has been pressed into service and the problem of the villagers is not solved even as the tanker is only concerned with supplying water to commercial establishments instead of residential areas,” said a local.
Going further the AAP volunteers visited the 10 MLD water treatment plant located at Makhard constructed at a whopping cost of Rs 5 crore and rendered non-functional.
“We demand an inquiry as to how tax payers’ money is spent in the name of maintenance when in reality the plant does not serve its purpose at all,” said Nagarsekar.
She claimed that there were major discrepancies with the treatment plant and that the treatment of the water was a farce.
“The filter valves, modules, sand beds, storage water tanks and other equipment at the plant are in a dilapidated condition, rusted and not maintained at all,” she added. She also complained that the panel room constructed for the purpose of electrification, pumping two years ago etc has not been commissioned till date.
AAP members further pointed out that the reservoir constructed for intake of water is non-functional and in a dilapidated state as the tank is leaking from all sides and has become a mere storage tank and no pump connection has been given in the last two years.
AAP has demanded to know why the project, constructed at such huge amount of tax payers’ money, has been rendered a white elephant.
“We demand an explanation as to why villagers are deprived of drinking water for years together even as a huge amount of money is spent on the purpose of providing potable water to the villagers,” said the group of locals.
AAP further demanded that the department take immediate steps to restore the conventional methods of water conservation like ponds, tanks etc and introduce rainwater harvesting in the area.
