CARMONA: Carmona village is reeling under water woes with some wards receiving muddy water while other wards receiving low water pressure, despite repeated intimation to PWD.
“The PWD Works Division IX (PHE), Fatorda Executive Engineer (EE) Vishwamber Bhende has failed to reply to our queries regarding the water pressure provided to the hotels in Carmona while providing an absurd explanation concerning why the low water pressure cannot be increased,” said Carmona sarpanch Allwyn Jorge.
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PWD EE Bhende, defending himself against this allegation, claimed that there us a continuous 24 hrs, and not intermittent water supply to village Carmona and other villages of Benaulim constituency. “The water pressure in the distribution network in village Carmona is maintained between 1.2 kg/sq cm to 1.5 kg/sq cm. The actual per capita water supply levels in your village Carmona as well as other parts of Benaulim constituency is approximately 150 to 200 lpcd (litres per capita per day) which is much more than the recommended supply levels. It is felt that the allegations made by you against the department are unnecessary and uncalled for,” said Bhende.
In this regards, following recommendations as per water supply manuals are cited below. The recommended per capita water supply levels are as follows: Towns provided with piped water supply but without sewerage system is 70 lpcd (litres per capita per day). Cities provided with piped water supply where sewerage system is existing/contemplated is 135 lpcd. The pressure requirements are as follows: for towns, when one storied buildings are common, the minimum residual pressure at ferrule point should be 7m (0.7 kg/sq cm) for direct supply. When two storied buildings are common, it may be 12m (1.2 kg/sq cm) and where three storied buildings are prevalent, it should be 17m (1.7 kg/sq cm). In this context, the pressure at Carmona village is 1.2 kg/sq cm to 1.5 kg/sq cm and is more than actual requirement.”
“The villagers may be advised to get old GI house service connections pipelines replaced by PVC pipelines. Carmona being coastal village the chances of clogging of GI service lines due to corrosion would be very high. High pressure in the distribution pipes leads to higher leakage losses. Hence, in order to keep the leakages less, it is desirable to keep the pipes to a reasonable value. This office, however, welcomes all constructive suggestions and instructions are already issued to the office of Assistant Engineer SDII/WDIX/(PHE), PWD, Monte-Margao to ensure that all the branch line valves of distribution network are kept fully open; to inspect and repair all leaking pipes, if any; to check if there are any unutilised lines in the village and put them to use; to identify the areas facing water shortages and to take remedial measures; to prepare proposals for replacement of old and aged asbestos cement pipelines by either PVC or Ductile Iron pipelines and to re-commission the system of supply through overhead reservoir,” said Bhende.
Allwyn drew Bhende’s attention to the earlier complaint letters written on January 28 and February 28, to him, PWD AE Prasad Sakhardande and the Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, besides the PWD AE Sakhardande’s visit on March 1 and requested immediate remedy to the grievances expressed.
Allwyn further said, ‘We wish to bring to your attention the serious lapses and negligence of the water supply system purely due to a primitive mindset of your entire department and concerned JE (junior engineer) Narayan Gaonkar and line staff which defies a sound engineering practice and thereby, deliberately causing unnecessary hardships to my villagers and the Benaulim constituency. Your department has been deliberately maintaining a very low water pressure which was insufficient to reach the water taps of the villagers over the years against the principles of engineering that a higher pressure would lead to pipe leaks. Villagers have invested and put up ground level storage tanks and other means of boosters due to your office deliberately restricting the water pressure for unexplained reasons.’
‘Upon receipt of our complaints regarding insufficient pressure and water not reaching the taps of the villagers, the pressure has been marginally increased to 1.35 kg/sq cm which increase to about 1.5 kg/sq cm at night. This was sighted in the presence of the PWD AE Sakhardande on March 1. Although our village pipelines are connected to the main line from Guddi, the control valves have been deliberately restricted which only benefits the nearby villages hotels as alleged by the villagers. As such, we hereby request you in spite of your department deliberately restricting the water pressure by throttling the supply valves and subjecting my villagers to a great inconvenience, stress and pain, we request you to immediately maintain a minimum line pressure of 2.0 kg/sq cm. Arrange for an immediate pressure testing of the interior water pipelines and arrange repairs and replacement, if found leaking. Arrange to fix pressure regulating valves for the village pipelines to automatically maintain a line pressure of minimum 2.0 kg/sq cm at all times. Repair or replace any leaky lines and prepare the estimates for renewal of old lines with bigger diameter lines due to increase in demand over the years,’ stated Allwyn.
