With temperatures soaring in summer, some parts of Goa go dry due to irregular water supply. Despite copious rainfall of 3.4 m in north Goa and 3.7 m in south Goa on average, the drinking/potable water crisis persist in parts of Dabolim, Bogmalo and Sada in Mormugao, Quegdevelim in Bardez, Sanvordem, Sanguem, Quepem, Bicholim and many areas in the hinterland Goa, even after 58 years of liberation. Situated at 100 above sea level, the densely populated Porvorim plateau goes dry very often as it falls at the tail-end of the supply chain of Assonora treatment plant. The topographic issue also affects places like Sada in Mormugao, Sanguem, Quepem.
Although Goa produces enough potable water to meet its requirements, about 30% is lost in transit (non-revenue water, NRW) causing a loss of Rs76.7 crore annually. Using Japan International Cooperation Agency project funds, the NRW has been now brought down to 20-25% and less than 20% in some areas, which can be further brought down to 10%, with an investment of Rs 1600 crore toward replacing of old, rusty and leaky pipelines.
The reasons for the problem are many. The whole scenario arises due to the reliance on natural water bodies which either experience a fall in water level or dry up in summer. Excessive ground water pumping through bore wells lowers the ground water table and depletes the resource. On the other side, erratic power supply affects pumping at treatment plants, water losses through rusty leaky pipelines, unmanaged urbanisation, increasing population density, misuse of potable water for non-domestic purposes creates a gap between the water needed and the water received.
With the housing complexes coming up in the cities and suburbs piped water supplied by PWD is insufficient. In March 2005, Goa daily potable water demand was estimated at 568 million litres per day (MLD), which shot up to above 600MLD per day to date. Rapid urbanisation, increase in population due to migration (as Goa has become a UK for migrants), large tourist influx, the water treatment capacity of 620MLD at major treatment plants at Selaulim, Opa, Dabos, Sakhali, Assonora, Podoxem, Chandel and Canacona today is proving deficient.
According to Rural Development Agency, rural people need 40 litres of water per head per day and urban people need 125 litres per head per day on an average. It may come as surprise that an estimated 20 to 30 MLD of clean reusable water is being wasted per day in Goa. Water conservation through judicious use of this scare natural resource is the need of the hour. Goa is able to use less than 5% of the water of nearly 30 MLD treated at State-run sewage treatment plants every day, even though this product is suitable for purpose other than drinking/cooking.
The fight for right for potable water continues. In the near future, pressure on water resources will be increasingly felt with the Mhadei waters being diverted to Karnataka. It is time to act now. Awareness needs to be created in Goa to save precious water now!
