VALPOI: Mining may have stopped in Pissurlem before it restarts through the auction route. But Pissurlem locals still need some mining connections to get a regular water supply.
The supreme irony is that rampant mining activity has sucked Pissurlem dry with its groundwater and wells devoid of water. The mining companies then supplied water tankers as a favour for Pissurlekars. Across the wards, a blue barrel to collect water outside each house was a familiar sight but as soon as mining stopped so did the trucks.
But the story doesn’t end. Even the new water tank in the village which will take care of the water problem to a large extent can be constructed after a NOC from the land owner who happened to be a “mine owner” in the words of the PWD Executive Engineer.
When contacted, Pissurlem Sarpanch Devanand Parab said, “In the past, we used to get water through tankers supplied by the mining companies. We used to receive water from the Padoshe treatment plant. At some places, we have installed pumps to draw water from wells and now, plans are afoot to construct a water tank at Shingane for which estimates of Rs 14 lakh have been prepared. However, work is yet to start as NOC from a mine owner is yet to be obtained.”
“If we are given NOC, we can start the work immediately as estimates have already been prepared. PWD Assistant Engineer Madan Dessai is regularly monitoring the situation and there is no water shortage in Pissurlem at the moment,” said PWD Chief Engineer Santosh Mhapne.
We are in the peak of summer. This is the time village wells, springs and river runs dry in March, April, and May. Villagers narrated how because of mining activities in their village, natural water bodies have completely been destroyed.
“There is no water in our wells; the village spring and river have run dry. We had filed a petition in the High Court and based on that petition, the High Court had directed the PWD Water Supply and now we are getting the tap water during morning hours. Still, Ponshem and Shingane wards in Pissurlem Panchayat are not receiving water supply,” Hanumant Parab, the well-known farmer leader told O Heraldo.
“Fifteen years ago, the Water Supply Department Valpoi installed the main water pipeline in our ward, but to date, we are not receiving proper water supply in our taps. The water supply department has taken no action,” complained Navso Parwar, another villager.
“We are constructing the 15 MLD water treatment plant in Morlem village panchayat area. This new plant will solve the water shortage problem of Pissurlem, Honda, and Morlem very soon,” a PWD water supply official told O Heraldo.
ZP member Sagun Wadkar said, “The residents of Ponshem are facing water shortage as the ward is situated at a height. However, steps have been taken to supply water through tankers. Similar is the case at Dhatwada ward where the residents are supplied water through tankers. However, efforts are on to resolve the problem in Pissurlem.”
Babuso Gaude, a villager from Pissurlem said, “There is plenty of water in the mining pits. We are demanding with the local body and the government authorities to take steps to filter water from the mining pits and to pump it and supply to the villagers so that they can use this water for domestic purposes. But nobody is listening to our voices.”
