Team Herald
PANJIM: Residents of La Marvel Colony in Dona Paula, Panjim, have been grappling with a severe water shortage, with little to no supply over the past seven months.
Despite repeated appeals to the Chief Engineer of the PWD, Chief Minister, MLA Jennifer Monserrate, and CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate, residents say no action has been taken and no explanation provided.
Residents suspect that the lack of water supply is due to illegal tapping and the granting of new water connections to large residential and commercial projects along the main PWD water line that feeds their colony. This, they believe, has severely affected the pressure and volume of water reaching their homes.
With the onset of summer, residents fear their hardship will only worsen and have urged authorities to act immediately.
In a statement, the La Marvel Residents Welfare Association said, "Living close to the official residence of the Hon’ble Governor of Goa does not guarantee a tax-paying citizen the right to receive daily PWD water. While the Governor enjoys a dedicated water supply line, the residents of La Marvel Colony do not. Developed in 1966–67, and home to many senior citizens, our colony is facing severe water scarcity—having gone 8 to 10 days at a stretch without water, for the past seven months—right in the state’s capital, Panjim.”
Ajoy Barretto, President of the Residents Welfare Association, added, “We have repeatedly brought to the attention of authorities that the issue lies in the inadequate water pressure, which prevents the supply from reaching deeper into the colony on a daily basis. It takes nearly an hour of the two-hour water supply window for La Marvel to start receiving water after it's released from the Taleigao Overhead Reservoir. This leaves us with little to no time to collect enough water for our daily needs—if we receive any at all.”
Barretto further said residents strongly suspect illegal tapping of the main water line and diversion of supply to newly approved residential complexes to be at the root of the problem. Despite repeated appeals to the PWD Assistant Engineer, PWD Chief Engineer, the CCP Commissioner, the local MLA, and the Chief Minister, residents say they are yet to receive a response or any relief.
In December 2024, the Residents Welfare Association filed a complaint with the PWD Assistant Engineer (Division III, Sub-Division I, Panjim), stating that the disruption had begun in April 2024.
“Now, there is mostly no supply at all—or just a trickle—for months. This prolonged shortage is causing serious hardship, especially for those living on the higher slopes of La Marvel Colony,” the association noted.
When contacted, PWD Works Division III, Sub-Division I Assistant Engineer Sarita Shirodkar said, “We are working on the low-pressure problem at La Marvel. Most consumers are receiving adequate water except those in higher-altitude areas, such as blocks 8C and 8D. Even there, we have been able to release supply by adjusting valves. Trial pits have already been excavated near Jetty Road to explore the feasibility of laying a separate pipeline as a permanent solution.”