Team Herald
MARGAO: Betalbatim Panchayat on Saturday commenced the work of demolishing a dilapidated 300-cubic meter water tank built in the church property.
The tank was built under the Rural Water Supply scheme that was launched before government started supplying drinking water from the Selaulim dam.
The Rural Water Supply scheme was implemented only in Betalbatim in South Goa around 35 years ago when Dr Wilfred de Souza was the PWD minister. Under it around 5 wells were dug that would provide water round the clock and water from these wells was pumped into the tank near the church.
The water from the tank was then supplied in rotation to the entire villager though an elaborately laid pipeline. The fabrica of Betalbatim had graciously offered its land to construct the tank besides also giving land across the road to set up the maintenance office which is now used as PWD office.
Ever since the PWD started providing drinking water from the Selaulim dam to houses in South Goa, this tank was not being used and it was shut down with the pipes from the wells leading to the tank also getting destroyed with the passage of time.
However, in 2006 the villagers noticed that the pillars on which the tank was fitted had begun tilting towards the church and fearing that it would collapse and destroy the main altar of the church that would be impossible to replace, the Fabrica and villagers began the movement to demolish the tank.
However, nothing much happened even though the then MLA Mickey Pacheco was a minister for some time. Hence when the new assembly was constituted the Fabrica approached the new MLA Wilfred alias Babashan D’Sa with the problem.
“We are really grateful to Babashan as he has got the sanction to demolish the tank within a year of getting elected as MLA and that was because he personally followed up the matter,” said Hillary Cotta Attorney of the Betalbatim Fabrica.
“It was a question of safety of the people coming to the church more than preserving the church,” said Wilfred D’Sa while disclosing that the work of demolishing has been tendered for Rs 12 lakh.
