PONDA: “Let them eat cake” is the most famous quote attributed to the French queen Marie-Antoinette. It was the queen’s response when told that her starving peasant subjects had no bread, during the French Revolution
Most people of Sacorda may not have heard of the French Queen and the quote linked to her, but they have been forced to do something similar. Buy water, since the state hasn’t been able to give them clean water for fifteen days.
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Perhaps that state is also telling them, “If there is no water, drink soda”
Faced with a water crisis for the past fortnight due to pollution in Ragada River and inaction from the PWD to supply potable water, four Sacorda villagers took the matter into their own hands by hiring a tanker at their own cost to supply water to the villagers.
Meanwhile, the villagers have warned of taking out a ‘ghagar morcha’ at Sacorda Panchayat and PWD Office Dharbandora, to protest against their failure to supply clean water to villagers for more than two weeks.
The Sacorda villagers, who are forced to drink polluted Ragada River water, have been fighting for a supply of clean water from PWD and Sacorda Panchayat since February 16. According to the villagers, the Ragada River water has been polluted allegedly due to the discharge of wastewater from a local pisciculture plant.
Due to this, the villagers have been demanding from the PWD to supply potable water to them. However, unable to bear the inordinate delay from the authorities in supplying clean water, the villagers decided to take the matter into their own hands and hired a water tanker at their own cost on Wednesday morning.
Locals feel the river water is unfit for drinking and the Health Department report stating that the water was contaminated, further strengthened their claims.
Bipin Naik said that for the past 16 days, the villagers have been demanding to supply clean water for drinking.
“As PWD and Panchayat failed to do so, four villagers hired a water tanker today ( Wednesday) to supply water to villagers. If the PWD fails to supply a tanker in the next 24 hours, then we will take out a morcha to the Panchayat and PWD office,” Naik said.
Another local, Sham Naik, said, “We are facing a water crisis after the pollution of Ragada River. We are forced to fetch spring water from a long distance. The PWD should supply clean water. We are paying monthly bills without fail.”
PWD starts process to connect water pipeline in Utorda
MARGAO: After intense pressure built by continuous reporting by O Heraldo, the Public Works Department (PWD) finally initiated the process of resolving the water supply issues at Utorda by digging the road in order to connect the pipeline supplying water to the residents with a bigger pipeline one the other side of the road.
PWD officials have even carried out the inspection and assured to resolve the issue at the earliest.
It may be recalled that several residents of Utorda have been struggling to get regular water supply due to low pressure and hence demanded to resolve the issue.
Shockingly, even the local MLA and Environment Minister at the initial stages had denied the claims of no proper water supply, despite residents proving it with the evidence. Later the minister acknowledged the issue and assured to look into the matter.
According to Sharlet Fernandes, a local panch member, a team of PWD including engineers had visited the area to check some houses for water supply.
They had insisted that some houses changed the pipeline, however residents have demanded to connect the old pipeline to the higher diameter pipeline having good water supply which is passing through the road on the other side,” she said.
Presently, the PWD had started the digging of the road in order to connect the old pipeline to a higher diameter pipeline on an experimental basis. It may switch over for the remaining houses so that issue is resolved completely.
Utorda villagers have long endured irregular water supply, with several residents voicing their grievances over the past few months and urging authorities to rectify the problem. Even senior citizens have faced difficulties in obtaining water.
