Big relief for Mala residents as PWD tackles water crisis

Big relief for Mala residents as PWD tackles water crisis
TEAM  HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In  what could be  a big relief for Mala residents,  the Public Works Department (PWD) has finally managed to contain the contaminated water flowing through water distribution lines, after toiling for nearly seven  days.
Executive Engineer Division  III, Dilip Dhavalikar on Sunday evening said that  water samples  tested yesterday have shown  improvement  in the  water quality and  while turbidity levels  have  dropped,  the foul smell from the  water supplied through the  affected areas has  also stopped.
“However we are not taking any chances and will continue the tests during the next few days until we are fully satisfied  with the reports,” said  Dhavalikar.
The water supplied  to the areas of  Cortim-Mala-Fontainhas continues to be  restricted  as  PWD  is  on the job to  ensure that the  distribution lines are  flushed out under  high  pressure.
“We are still supplying water through tankers and continue to advise people not to drink  water without  boiling it,” said the executive engineer.
Dhavalikar said that  the  next  task before the  PWD is to change the  distribution lines in the area  at the earliest  as  the PWD  does not  want to have  such  repeat  incidents of  contamination.
Asked whether  the  department was able to identify the  problem area, he said that  after isolating  several  points  the  department  could  only close in  on  an area   near People’s High School and  the  Honda  showroom  room.
He said that PWD would continue checking water samples   of around 30 houses  at regular  intervals  during the week.