PANJIM: Goa is heading towards a water shortage this month and Panjim will be the worst hit as water levels at the Opa water treatment plant dipped below the normal this week.
PWD Chief Engineer Vijaykumar Verenkar has requested people, especially the residents of the State capital, to be economical and use water very judiciously.
He said, “On Thursday the water levels at Opa dipped to 2.15 metres against the normal of 2.5 metres which is needed to pump to the capacity and supply to the Tiswadi taluka. We have begun pumping water from Selaulim and Anjunem into Opa and trying to maintain the level.”
Asked about the continuation of the supply, he said, “The water has to be treated and therefore since we are unable to pump water to the treatment plant as we would earlier, there will be shortage of water and the only way to ensure that everyone gets a share of the water is to cut down on the number of hours.”
He further said, “In the coming days we will have to reduce the time water is supplied to every line. Will request citizens to store water during the hours that they receive water and use it economically.”
Stating that judicious use is the only way to fight the short supply, he said, “People may think we will be able to supply water through tankers and may depend on that. But it is not possible to supply water through tankers to everyone in times of shortage.”
Water Resources Department (WRD) Superintendent Engineer Shrikant Patil, however, had a different version about the water reservoirs in the State. He said that the State reservoirs have water to supply for two months.
He said, “Water at all the other plants is sufficient and there will be no shortage except at Opa plant. We have already started pumping water from Selaulim and Anjunem, besides if required we will pump water from the mining pits and provide the water levels as needed.”
PWD Executive Engineer VM Rao Chavan said that Bardez taluka receives 105 MLD of water from the Assonora plant. “Our capacity is 92 MLD but we are supplying 13 MLD more than that and yet we receive complaints of water shortage during the summer. People need to realise that water as a resource may be available but it has to be treated and only then can be used. Therefore people need to use water very wisely.”
