In a written reply to a starred question by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, it has been revealed that nearly 3,400 private water tankers made 1.44 lakh trips to supply water to 130 villages across Goa in the last three-and-half years
During this period the tankers provided water to areas of Panjim and Taleigao and nearly 82 areas of Sattari taluka and 30 villages of Ponda taluka
The other areas where water is supplied by private tankers are 25 in Pernem taluka, 17 in Bicholim taluka, 15 in Bardez taluka, 14 in Sanguem taluka, six in Canacona taluka and five each in Quepem and Dharbandora talukas, three in Mormugao and Panjim and Taleigao areas of Tiswadi taluka.
There is no mention of water supplied to any area of Salcete taluka
PANJIM:The tanker business is flourishing in Goa as the Department for Drinking Water (DDW) is unable to meet the daily demand for the essential commodity in the State.
As per the DDW, the drinking water demand for domestic, non-domestic consumers and floating population is estimated at 695 MLD and the present is 633 MLD, thus there is a shortfall of 62 MLD of water.
The water supply also ranges from two hours to 24 hours and the percentage of consumers who receive 24x7 water supply is around 26.54 per cent. Though the government claims that water tankers are utilised during pipeline breakdown or shutdown or other emergencies tail/elevated users, the dependence on water tankers has increased.
Despite becoming the first State to achieve ‘Har Ghar Jal’, Goa still faces irregular water supply in many parts. Even the residents of Ganjem-Usgao had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking directions to the government to provide regular water supply to the residents.
In a written reply to a starred question tabled by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, it has been revealed that nearly 3,400 private water tankers made 1.44 lakh trips to supply water to 130 villages across the State in the last three-and-half years.
During this period the tankers have been providing water to areas of Panjim and Taleigao and nearly 82 areas of Sattari taluka and 30 villages of Ponda taluka. The other areas where water is supplied by private tankers are 25 in Pernem taluka, 17 in Bicholim taluka, 15 in Bardez taluka, 14 in Sanguem taluka, six in Canacona taluka and five each in Quepem and Dharbandora talukas, three in Mormugao and Panjim and Taleigao areas of Tiswadi taluka.
There is no mention of water supplied to any area of Salcete taluka.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his Assembly Budget speech in July 2019 had stated: “My government will ensure that all the… projects will be completed before 2025, which will enable us to move forward and move ahead to achieve the water summit of 24x7 water supply to all in Goa with no discrimination to rural and urban areas.”
Later this year, during his Assembly speech in February, Sawant had said, “I admit that it is not possible to provide water 24x7, but the government has plans to ensure water supply for four hours a day to every household. Infrastructure development for this is underway and will be completed before 2026.”
Says Suresh Bhomkar, a tanker owner from Panjim, “There are around 20-25 private tankers supplying water in the areas of Panjim and Taleigao constituencies mostly to construction sites and sometimes to hotels. We also supply water to residential areas when there is a demand from the residents, mostly when there is a breakdown in the PWD pipeline.”
Another tanker owner Samir Khan said that private tankers supply water to construction sites and offshore casinos.
In a written reply to a starred question by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, it has been revealed that nearly 3,400 private water tankers made 1.44 lakh trips to supply water to 130 villages across Goa in the last three-and-half years
During this period the tankers provided water to areas of Panjim and Taleigao and nearly 82 areas of Sattari taluka and 30 villages of Ponda taluka
The other areas where water is supplied by private tankers are 25 in Pernem taluka, 17 in Bicholim taluka, 15 in Bardez taluka, 14 in Sanguem taluka, six in Canacona taluka and five each in Quepem and Dharbandora talukas, three in Mormugao and Panjim and Taleigao areas of Tiswadi taluka.
There is no mention of water supplied to any area of Salcete taluka
Goa dependent on tankers as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ remains on paper
There is no mention of water supplied to any area of Salcete taluka.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his Assembly Budget speech in July 2019 had stated: “My government will ensure that all the… projects will be completed before 2025, which will enable us to move forward and move ahead to achieve the water summit of 24x7 water supply to all in Goa with no discrimination to rural and urban areas.”
Later this year, during his Assembly speech in February, Sawant had said, “I admit that it is not possible to provide water 24x7, but the government has plans to ensure water supply for four hours a day to every household. Infrastructure development for this is underway and will be completed before 2026.”
Says Suresh Bhomkar, a tanker owner from Panjim, “There are around 20-25 private tankers supplying water in the areas of Panjim and Taleigao constituencies mostly to construction sites and sometimes to hotels. We also supply water to residential areas when there is a de-mand from the residents, mostly when there is a breakdown in the PWD pipeline.”
Another tanker owner Samir Khan said that private tankers supply water to construction sites and offshore casinos.