Team Herald
PANJIM: The water crisis gripping several parts of Goa even before summer is here is particularly painful for the residents of Pilerne, Reis Magos, and Verem in the Saligao constituency – not only are they facing severe water shortage, to make matters worse, leaking PWD pipes are leading to precious potable water getting wasted.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
But why can’t the pipes be repaired? Locals allege that even after repeated requests, PWD officials haven’t helped, citing a shortage of manpower and leaving the residents to look for a solution on their own.
Leaked pipelines apart, issues like irregular and scanty water supply that is often muddy,
contaminated and unfit for drinking also dog the localities.
Krishna Dabholkar, a resident of Verem, expressed his frustration, saying, “We do not get proper water supply. It just trickles from the taps. We are a family of five, but water doesn’t reach us. We do not need much, but even the small amount of water we require is not provided.
“Sometimes we have to hire tankers, which is very expensive. We’ve been struggling with this for years, but no one listens,” he added
Cajitan Fernandes from St. John Waddo, Marra, Pilerne, highlighted how the situation worsens during the hotter months of April and May. “The government promises 24/7 water supply and the slogan ‘har ghar nal har ghar jal’ (tap for every house, water for every house), but it is all untrue. We face many hardships. Recently, a water pipeline broke, causing a lot of distress,” he said.
The core issue, Fernandes explained, lies in the low water pressure in the pipelines, which prevents water from reaching homes. “If there’s no pressure, how can water reach us? It doesn’t even reach the kitchen or toilet,” he said, adding that a nearby commercial complex’s water usage has further exacerbated the problem. “A new complex with multiple flats is drawing water before it even reaches us. This is causing great difficulty for local residents.”
Fernandes’ family of five, struggling with the inadequate water supply, sometimes resorts to washing clothes in a nearby lake, which is also losing water storage capacity due to deforestation. “The lake is not safe either, as trees are being cut down. We locals are protesting against proposed projects, but the government has decimated Mhadei too,” he added.
He also pointed out the disparity between commercial entities and residents. “Commercial complexes have ample resources to hire water tankers, but we, the poor, cannot afford such luxuries. The local MLA had visited last year after a pipeline break, but it took months for repairs to be made. PWD claims they lack manpower. Our borewells have dried up, and the remaining water is unfit for consumption.”
Another resident, Bruno De Sousa, also voiced his concerns, stating, “The water we get is muddy and lacks pressure, making it only useful for irrigation. It’s impossible for the water to even reach the tanks. Thankfully, I have wells, but I still need to buy drinking water at a cost of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 a month.”
Prakash Bandodkar, President of the Pilerne Citizens Forum, explained, “We don’t get water regularly. Sometimes it’s absent for up to eight days, and when it does come, it’s too muddy.”
A woman from Verem, who wished to remain anonymous, questioned the inconsistency of the supply, asking, “Why can’t we get water daily? Is it so difficult to provide a basic necessity like water every day?”
