Canacona receiving contaminated water

Canacona receiving contaminated water
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, NOV 20
Canacona residents have complained of contaminated water for the last 15 days.
“The colour of water which we receive is reddish and we find it is also adulterated with foreign objects,” complained a resident Deepak Tubki.
Another resident Sushila Komarpant added: “This is going on for almost two weeks, but PWD is yet to improve quality of water supplied to residential areas in the municipality.”
When contacted, a PWD official accepted there was indeed some problem in the storage tanks at the water treatment plant in Shristhal, but claimed the problem had been solved on Friday.
“One of the two storage tanks, which reportedly had mud accumulation, apparently due to heavy turbidity during monsoons, at its bed was cleaned on Friday. Another tank was be taken up for dissemination on Saturday,” the official said.
When asked to justify how adulterated water was being supplied to residents for almost two weeks, the official said: “Heavy presence of turbidity (mud) accumulated at the storage tanks resulted in the coloured water.”
Residents also complained that there was no water supply throughout Friday. PWD sources, however, informed that rehabilitation work was taken up on the supply line from Chapoli dam.
“Besides, cleaning of the storage tank was also underway and hence, water supply was suspended for the day. But the supply was restored late Friday evening,” a source told Herald.
It is learnt that three out of six filters recently installed at the 10 MLD Shristhal Water Treatment plant are not functional for many months and this has led to accumulation of muddy water in the water storage tanks.
Surprisingly, it is also learnt that the recently installed 10 MLD plant, as an additional treatment plant to the existing 5 MLD, is yet to be officially handed over to the PWD staff.
An official told Herald on condition of anonymity that the 10 MLD plant is to be maintained by a Delhi party for five years, as per a contract with the government.
“The Delhi party has installed the plant and has its own staff, including a plant in-charge, a chemist and other officials, while 2-3 local PWD staff has been deputed to keep a check on the plant round the clock,” the official said.