In the midst of the monsoon, areas of Goa have gone dry. Two and half months into the monsoon, Goa has already received 117 inches of rain, its normal for the four month season, yet there are areas where taps have gone dry due to restricted or no water supply. While water pipelines in Tiswadi and Ponda went complete dry due to a landside that damaged the main water pipeline, and water had to be supplied through tankers, villages in Bardez for over a month have been complaining of poor supply and muddy water. There was anger among residents in both talukas that was directed at the politicians and the officials. The water supply issue of Bardez was even raised in the Assembly pointing out that since July 10 the water flowing from the taps of the people has been muddy and dirty. Demands for clean water took time to be met by the authorites.
It reflects poorly on the government, when in a State that has no scarcity of water the supply is held up. The Tiswadi and Ponda issue may have been due to an accident, but Bardez is a different issue altogether. But, while people who have been hit by the taps going dry will have a grouse, water is going to be a major issue in the not too distant future. Parts of the country have been facing a severe water crisis and Chennai this summer went totally dry, that trains bearing water had to be sent to the city. According to estimates, Bengaluru will in a few years turn into a water deficient city.
India’s water crisis is not alleviating, it is growing and could reach unmanageable proportions in a short time. Even in his address on the eve of Independence Day, President Ram Nath Kovind called on water management and conservation. The next day, in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again touched upon the water issue, indications that water is going to be the cause of major problems in the future. Given that many States in the country have faced drought and water shortages, this just cannot be under stated. The country is galloping towards a water crisis unless measures are taken to conserve water now.
Goa this year has received copious amounts of rain, leading to floods in various talukas, especially in the North District. Ironically, it is this rain that loosened the earth leading to the disruption of water supply to Tiswadi and Ponda. Much of the rain water that the State has received has, however, been wasted, as Goa was not prepared with water conservation systems. The State was forced to open dam gates to release the excess water and allow it to flow into the rivers and drain into the sea. There were no new water conservation measures or systems to replenish the ground water, besides the existing dams and bandharas, that have come up in the State that could store the water.
Besides water conservation, the State has to also look at water saving measures. Like in the rest of the country, in Goa too it is the quick pace at which the urban population is growing and the industry growth that are some of the major causes of the water shortage. Across the country large amounts of the treated water that is supplied to the urban areas is wasted. On the other hand water sources are contaminated by chemicals and untreated effluents released by industry. The State has to begin planning for the future to avoid descending into situations such as Chennai has. Goa has a strong monsoon, it has to be able to conserve water and provide it to its people.
