The 27 MLD new treatment Plant at Opa has missed the deadline with reportedly only 50 per cent of the work completed till December.
The foundation stone for the plant was laid in March 2014 and it was to provide 24×7 water to Tiswadi Taluka and surrounding areas. The specially designed treatment plant was to be completed in one year’s time but the contractor appears to have forgotten the deadline.
Fresh visit by Herald to Opa saw that work is progressing and need to pick up speed to complete the work. Though PWD Minister Sudin Davalikar, while distributing fertilizers at Kundai Panchayat, had said that the treatment plant was to complete and be inaugurated in December 2017, the government has also missed to keep its promises.
At least more six more months will be required to complete the plant, said sources.
Around 50 per cent work has been completed at the new Opatreatment Plant. However, the sources say, it may require some more time to complete the construction of two wells which will pump the water from the reservoir into the river.
Sources said laying of the pipeline for transferring water from the reservoir is yet to take place and this may require at least 90 days. Unless and until the pipeline is laid the plant will not be able to function, the sources added.
The existing Opa treatment plant that supplies water to Tiswadi and Ponda Talukas has capacity to treat 140 MLD water on daily basis. This meets drinking requirement of both these talukas. But it was decided by the government to provide 24×7 water supply to these talukas and with this in mind had laid foundation for a new 27 MLD new treatment to meet the additional requirement of residences that are coming up at Kadamba Plateau and surrounding area of Tiswadi Taluka. Currently people at Kadamba Plateau are struggling and demanding to meet their water requirement.
Along with new 27 MLD treatment Plant at Opa the Government had on the same day also laid a foundation stone for another 25 MLD treatment Plant at Ganjem, Usgao. Work on this project, sources say, is also lacking far behind.
It may be recalled that few days back the issue of the new treatment plants came up as Goa and Karnataka governments raised the issue of diverting the Mhadei River.
Around 3500 farmers in Sattari had raised the issue saying that if the Mhadei river water was diverted then the river will get dry very soon and all these farmers will be affected.
Eknath Paste, Assistant Engineer, Water Supply Department, Valpoi, had said “Sattari’s source of water is Mhadei River. We are pumping Mhadei River water and supplying the same to the whole of Sattari taluka. Besides Sattari, we are supplying the river water to Ponda and also to the capital city of Panjim.”
Farmers say that 80% of the Sattari taluka depend on the Mhadei river to meet their drinking water needs. Mhadei River will get dry very early if the water is diverted to Karnataka and the water treatment plants in Dabose, Guleli, Bhironda and Paikul will face acute water shortage, say sources.
Now with the delay of the new plants at Opa, sources are wondering if there will be enough of water in the river once the plants are completed.
