ALVARO COLACO
CORTALIM: The Water Resources Department (WRD) has been implicit in admitting that while granting permissions for ground water extraction and transportation in Mormugao taluka, the required clearances from pollution control, transport and health authorities were not obtained.
Information sought by a Vasco-based RTI activist, Savio Correia, has revealed gross negligence by officers of Ground Water in the WRD in failing to ensure compliance with mandatory statutory provisions of the Goa Ground Water Act and Rules.
Correia had sought specific information from Mormugao taluka regarding compliance of the Goa Groundwater Rules in extraction and transportation of ground water.
“An application for permission to transport ground water must be accompanied by a certificate from Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) regarding fitness of the source of water for potable use, a certificate from Directorate of Transport that the body of tanker transporting water has internal stainless steel linings and an NOC from Health Department regarding suitability of tanker carrying potable water to be submitted every six months,” said Correia.
Although 13 water tankers, including one of the Mormugao Port Trust, have permission to transport ground water, not a single mandatory requirement prescribed under the rules was insisted by WRD while granting permissions.
In the information, that could also have far reaching consequences on public health, the RTI reply by WRD Executive Engineer Peter Paul D’Souza, states that none of the water tankers have the mandatory certificate from GSPCB regarding fitness of source of water for potable use, as the department did not have any such records.
In another glaring admission, the WRD stated that it also did not have copies of certificates issued by Directorate of Transport certifying that the vehicles had internal stainless steel linings, implying that none of the water tankers complied with the legal requirements.
Furthermore, WRD does not have copies of NOCs granted by Health Department, indicating negligence and an indifferent attitude on part of WRD officers.
Not a single inspection to check quality of water at source was carried out by the Ground Water Officer in Mormugao taluka in the last one year ~ from April 2012 to March 2013, though such inspections are required to be done periodically under the rules.
The information further revealed that except for five cases in Verna village, no orders were issued for stoppage of illegal extraction/transportation of water.
Correia also claimed that the information furnished to him showed that water extraction and transportation in Mormugao taluka was completely illegal and in gross violation of Ground Water Rules.
Only one bore well in Baina-Vasco was given permission to extract ground water on a commercial basis which, ironically, expired in August 2011 and has apparently not been renewed.
While the 13-odd water tankers were permitted to cumulatively carry only 180 cubic meters per day, over-exploitation was rampant. Incidentally, the permissions granted to the water tankers had also expired. A glaring fact was that PWD operated water tankers pressed into service during water shortages also did not comply with the statutory requirements ofthe Goa Ground Water Act and Rules.
