Team Herald
PONDA: The scourging summer has been keeping the Opa water engineers on their toes to maintain a normal water supply to Tiswadi and Ponda talukas.
Since the start of summer, the Opa water treatment plant on Khandepar River has been facing acute shortage of raw water for treatment. The plant treats and supplies around 140 MLD of water.
Officials say that the water level at the OPA reservoir needs to be, at least, two meter deep to pump raw water to the treatment plant. However, it dropped to 1.70 metres four days ago sending jitters among officials, who frantically worked to restore the two-meter water level at the reservoir.
The Assistant Engineer at the OPA Water Treatment Plant, Sudhir Parab, said that the Water Resource Department acted swiftly by opening the water stored in some bhandaras and pumping water into Khandepar River from Kalem River which is a tributary of Dudhsagar River, to raise the water level at the Opa reservoir.
As on Tuesday, the water level at the Opa reservoir is 2.20 meter deep, he said adding, “We are also regularly pumping water from Ganjem River since last few years.” Besides, water stored in mining pits in the area has also been pumped into the Opa reservoir, he said.
A sense of worry – that the water level may not be maintainable at two meter — was discernable in the engineer when he said, “If it rains in May or June it will be very helpful for us. And to run the treatment plant smoothly, the water level the Opa reservoir should be at least at 2 metres, below which it is difficult to pump water to the treatment plant.”
Parab said despite the limited source of raw water, his department makes every effort to provide uninterrupted water supply to the public. “We provide uninterrupted water supply to Panjim, Ponda and Dharbandora; all these areas have reservoirs for storing water supplied from Opa plant. Everyday 140 MLD water is treated and distributed. Panjim consumes around 45 MLD, Ponda around 40 MLD and rest by Shiroda, Marcaim, Priol etc,” he said.
“But currently, as measure of judicious use of water, we are restricting the treatment by reducing it by five to 15 MLD, to maintain the water level. This adjustment will not affect consumers if the store water whenever we release it,” he said and advised the people to avoid using pipe water for washing vehicles and gardening.
