PWD water is supplied to around 1000 villagers from Agassaim and 8000 from Goa Velha for 30 minutes every alternate day for the past two months
Now, water from the Opa pipeline is shared to villages of Agassaim and Goa Velha
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
AGASSAIM: Around 1000 villagers from Agassaim and at least 8000 from Goa Velha have had to make do with 30 minutes of piped water supply every alternate day for the past two months. Villagers complain that they have been running from pillar to post to mitigate the problem with no positive response from the authorities.
With the onset of monsoons in Goa, the chances of their plight getting better are almost nil.
Agassaim village gets water from Selaulim, while Goa Velha gets its supply from Opa water works. According to the villagers, a barge hit an underwater pipeline supplying water to Agassaim more than two months ago. Due to this water from the Opa pipeline had to be shared giving both villages thus giving them water for about 30 minutes every alternate day. PWD sources say that it is very difficult to change the pipeline now as the monsoon has set in and divers would be needed for the same.
“The barge damaged the underwater pipeline. So water was diverted from Opa to Agassaim. We get 30 minutes water every alternate day,” Goa Velha Sarpanch Jagdish Bhobe told media Thursday, adding that they have gone to everybody possible to get their problem solved.
Agassaim Sarpanch James Alfonso complaint too is similar. “I tried my best to solve the problem by making provision of water tankers, but many people in various wards tried to abuse this facility by utilising the extra water to water their plants,” he said.
Thursday, Agassaim villagers met to work out a solution to the problem. Victor
Gracias, speaking to villagers said, “This problem is not merely of a handful of villagers, but a problem of the entire village and which needs to be tackled instantly,” and demanded a new tender for a new water pipeline and that hardships faced by villagers while paying the water bills, be met on priority.
Fr Johnsie Colaco, the parish priest, and Assistant Parish Priest Fr Victor Rodrigues also said that the water scarcity problem will continue unless the authorities initiate action immediately.
“We all need to approach our local MLA as one family and seek a solution to our problem,” he said.
“If appropriate action is not taken, I urge the people to come out in large numbers and force our demands on our representative. Till our demands are not met, we should not sit quiet like silent spectators,” he added.
Ermina Alburqueque, a member of Parish Pastoral Council wants to carry out a signature campaign.
PWD chief engineer J S Rego confirmed that a barge had indeed damaged the underwater pipeline, though he said that he was not aware that the situation was so bad. He promised to look into it.
