Clariflocculator tank at Xelpem water treatment plant damaged

SANGUEM: A clariflocculator tank at the Xelpem water treatment plant was damaged following a landslide on Monday morning, prompting the Executive Engineer Shrikant Gaonkar and his team to conduct a site inspection.

The mud from the tank vicinity got washed away due to the leakage in the clariflocculator tank. The tank, which was constructed some 35 years ago, was tailor-made for the construction of the tank above it. As precautionary measure, a concrete slab was laid beneath the clariflocculator tank to withstand any damage to the mud beneath.

However, following heavy rains which lashed the taluka for the past many days, the loose mud got washed away and damaged the clarriflocculator tank, which is used for flocculation and setting of solids.  

The Xelpem Water Treatment Plant has four such clariflocculator tanks and the damage caused to one such tank will not affect drinking water supply to South Goa, informed Executive Engineer Shrikant Gaonkar and added that the damaged 40 MLD tank is damaged beyond repairs. 

With the department yet to assess the exact quantum of damage caused to the tank, sources informed that the construction of the similar clariflocculator would cost at least Rs 1.5 crore and would take almost a year to construct.

Gaonkar informed that immediately after receiving the information, he along with Junior Engineer Kalpit Tari and others rushed to the site and conducted an inspection. However, the department is in the process of ascertaining the exact quantum of damage, informed Gaonkar adding that the same will be ascertained by his technical staff in due course of time.

However, Gaonkar said all parts of South Goa and Sanguem taluka will get regular drinking water supply as the plant has three more clariflocculator tanks working in addition to another managed under JICA.