Team Herald
PERNEM: It’s almost a decade now that the Pernem residents have been kept waiting for the 30 MLD water treatment plant.
The locals, who have been complaining of facing water crisis, have accused ex- CM and MLA Laxmikant Parsekar and MLA Dayanand Sopte of failing to follow up the Tuem project.
Water crisis has hit the people of Mandrem constituency and a functional 30 MLD plant would solve the water woes of the locals.
They claim that the 15 MLD supplied to the taluka is not sufficient to meet their needs. Further, tourists frequent Mandrem throughout the year, which adds to the water crisis.
Sources stated that Arambol, Morjim, Mandrem and Kerim are the most affected. since they are along the taluka border.
The Chandel water treatment plant supplies 15 MLD to 22 villages in the taluka. Of 15 MLD, 3 MLD is supplied to each village..
People complain of irregular water supply due to which they are forced to collect and store water for two to four days. With only 3 MLD supply to Morjim, Arambol, Mandrem and Kerim, the locals claim that they are forced to hire tankers. This year the water has been supplied via PWD tankers. There are over 17,500 water connections registered with PWD Pernem with nearly 6,500 in Mandrem constituency, which include domestic and commercial ones.
Pernem PWD EE said, “The project file is in process and has not been tendered as yet. The department is yet to receive administrative approval. Once the project is tendered and sanctioned, the work will commence. The land for the plant has been acquired. However, it will take another year or more for the process to complete and for the project work to start”.
The total cost of the project is Rs 80 crore. Meanwhile, the augmentation of Chandel water treatment plant from 15 MLD to 30 MLD is currently underway.
