ASSAGAO: Large areas of Mapusa have been affected with water shortage now in the peak summer season. Places like Morod, parts of Angod, Feira Alta and Peddem seem to be affected with severe water shortage.
With the Milagres Feast set to be celebrated on Monday, locals from Mapusa are quite apprehensive whether the water scarcity issue would cast a shadow on the festive celebrations just as it happened for Christmas last year.
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Senior councillor Sudhir Khandolkar from Morod said that he was in touch with locals from his ward and was keeping himself updated with regards to the water issue. “Some parts of Morod did not get water but now it has started. We are constantly monitoring the situation with the help of the PWD and though there is some panic, we will ensure that people in Morod don’t have to suffer due to water scarcity,” Khandolkar said.
It is reliably learnt that underground cabling works have damaged the water pipelines to a great extent and leakages in many places have gone unchecked. A local businessman, Paresh Toraskar, who owns a business near the old municipality building, said, “It is 10 days now that we are not getting water.”
He felt that this problem was due to negligence of the Electricity Department as the underground cabling work could probably be the reason.
“In this sweltering heat, the absence of regular water supply is a nightmare. The authorities must act quickly to ensure regular water supply,” Toraskar said.
On the other hand, PWD’s Assistant Engineer Truptesh Shirsat downplayed complaints of water scarcity in Mapusa.
He said, “If at all there are cases, they could be isolated cases or cases with individual issues such as height issue so insufficient pressure to climb up or some individual plumbing issue. On the whole, in Mapusa there is no water scarcity issue, there could be some issues in some pockets which we are trying to reach out and find out whether the fault is in our domain or theirs. Two days back because the main line was shut due to some problem, we had shortage of water supply in Mapusa, but otherwise the situation is well in control and my office is monitoring the issue. We will ensure that the situation does not go out of hand.”
However, aggrieved residents insist that there is indeed a water shortage in areas of the municipality’s jurisdiction. They also state that they have made several complaints to the authorities.
“I have been experiencing irregular water supply for the past several days – in fact since April 6 – leading to significant inconvenience. Despite telephonic complaints to the Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer, the situation has not improved. Every time I inquire with authorities, I am told that their ‘tank is full and water has being released’, but I am baffled as to where the water is going. Due to the ongoing underground cabling work, pipes are damaged as a result I encounter very low pressure or no water at all,” said Vincent Braganza, a resident of Mapusa.
