FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
While most of the villages in Salcete have ‘Har Ghar Jal’, problems of water pressure and abrupt disruptions persist.
Confirming this, the Sarpanch of Camurlim Raia village, Basilio Fernandes told Herald that it is true that all the houses in his village have piped water. "The pressure is a bit less in some areas but there is tap connection in every house," he told.
However, the Sarpanch of Chandor village, Edward D'silva said that some of the houses in his village don't have tap water. And he summed up what many feel that the State declaring itself to be ‘Har Ghar Jal’ was premature.
"We had got a communication to apply and process for water connection to the ones who don't have tap connections. However, even before we could correspond they have declared that Goa is Har Ghar Jal. The Government did the same declaring Goa as Open Defecation Free (ODF). I don't know why they do that, probably to please their top bosses" said Edward.
Further, residents in the taluka pointed out that places in what can be considered as rural Salcete, there are still many who rely on their wells and have not taken water connection.
Betalbatim Sarpanch Constancio Miranda said that while they are close to having 100 % tap water connections, two or three houses of poor people do not have it as yet. He added that the work to identify these houses and give them water connections has begun.
A panch member from a Salcete village, Ashwinkumar Naik opined that villages in this taluka are otherwise from a development point of view, in a superior position as compared to remote villages and thus the overall tap water connection here is better.
