Residents of Hivrem, Sattari, have been facing a scarcity of drinking water for the last 20 years. The scheme that had been implemented to solve their water problems does not seem to be working properly, resulting in a water shortage in the village.
Hivrem is a small hamlet in Sattari, and its biodiversity has been preserved for many years. This village is situated on the boundary of Goa and Karnataka, and is almost 14 km away from Valpoi. For the villagers, the lack of water supply is the biggest headache.
Almost 15 years ago, the State government had laid a special pipeline to solve the water shortage problem. However, as the village is at a higher altitude, it was not possible to supply much water, and taps always ran dry.
To solve the problem, the Public Works Department had fitted a pump for distribution of water in the village, but due to low rainfall in the last monsoons, many wells contained little water, so the pumps ran for only a short time.
The water tankers that are being supplied by the Valpoi PWD are unable to fulfill the requirements of the people.
Valpoi PWD Assistant Engineer Dattaram Shet stated, “The PWD supplies 50,000 liters of water for a hundred houses, but even then the water is less, as per complaints received from the villagers. We are trying to increase the number of tanker trips to this village to satisfy the villagers.”
Recently, Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane visited Hivrem to try and resolve the issue. He reportedly saw villagers consuming spring water that had not been tested. The villagers told him that the water may contain a higher percentage of chloride, which may adversely affect the villagers. They added that improvement of this spring would definitely solve the water problem in this village.
While assuring to look into the matter, Rane stated, “I am very serious about the water shortage problem in Hivrem. I will talk to the concerned minister regarding the situation in the village.”
As per AE Shet, the government has already tendered a Rs 6.50 crore project for laying a higher capacity pipeline from the Dabose water treatment plant to Hivrem, but the work order is yet to be issued. He added that once the work has been completed, the water problems of Hivrem will be solved permanently, and the neighbouring villages will also get better water supply.
Savitri Gaonkar, a senior citizen from Hivrem stated, “Due to a severe water shortage, some villagers wake up as early as 4 am to collect water from a nearby well. The people who come first will get water, but the latecomers have to go back without getting a single drop of water.”
Another local, Saraswati Gaonkar, was irked at the government’s apathy towards the issue. She said, “For the last 20 years, the taps in our houses are only showpieces. The government invests crores of funds for highways, but they are turning a blind eye to the problems in remote villages.”
