ERWIN FONSECA
ASSAGAO: Exactly a year ago, the foundation for a water treatment plant at Sonarkhet, Assagao, was laid by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, assuring the residents of Anjuna, Assagao and Siolim that within a few months water scarcity issue would be a thing of the past. However, the project, which is yet to become a reality, has worsened the situation in Assagao’s Badem ward with the villagers forced to depend on the old manual hand pumps to fetch water.
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When summer is at its peak, the people are compelled to undergo further hardship as there is a beeline to fetch water at the site.
The chief minister had also assured that once the plant is commissioned, those residing in the areas located at the tail end of the pipeline were also assured that they would receive improved water supply, but this assurance has fallen flat.
The demand of the residents in Badem for regular water supply will remain a distant dream with no signs of the treatment plant reaching its completion.
Assagao Sarpanch Hanumant Naik said that the WRD and PWD should actually work in tandem to alleviate the water problems of the residents.
“There is absolutely no clarity on the part of the PWD as to what are their plans and actions with regards to water supply in my village. I was told that the Sonarkhet plant would be ready by February 2025, but work is still behind schedule and I don’t know why such an important project is being taken so lightly. Last February, the roads were dug up for laying water pipelines and still now these are being dug up again for the same reason. In fact part of the hotmixed road in Assagao was also dug up. This is a complete joke being played by the PWD and that too when the Chief Minister is handling this portfolio,” said Naik.
The sarpanch admitted that the water issue has been raised at gram sabhas.
The locals from Wards 6 and 7 of Assagao Village Panchayat complained of being the worst hit as they still depend on the old manual pumps to draw water and when summer is at its peak, there is a beeline to fetch water at the site.
Claiming that some constructions have come up, the locals accused the builders of digging illegal borewells and blamed the WRD for having no mechanism to check this menace.
They complained that the digging of bore wells, has resulted in the wells in their areas to dry up.
In Vazarwada, Anjuna due to bore wells and inadequate PWD water supply, the locals have to depend on private water tankers.
“We have always been seeking accountability with regards to laying pipelines, water supply timings with the PWD but there seems to be some lack of transparency in PWD projects and people are always kept in the dark. I have been persistently raising this issue at gram sabhas, but even Sarpanch is helpless because the department is just not bothered,” complained Owen Braganza, a prominent activist from Assagao.
Meanwhile, the Village Development Committee of Assagao Panchayat has convened a joint meeting with the engineers of PWD, works division XVII (roads, bridges and water section) and the Electricity Department along with panchayat members in the panchayat office at 11 am on February 27, to discuss issues of digging of roads, laying of underground pipes and cables in a haphazard manner in the cross drains and at other places in the panchayat areas. The meeting will discuss water scarcity, frequent breaking of pipelines and repairing the same.
