ANIL KUMAR MISHRA
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PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s recent promise in the Assembly of providing four hours of water supply to each home in Goa by 2026 has little value for Taleigao residents, as many areas in the panchyat get water for only an hour and at times on alternate days.
Taleigao is witnessing a construction boom, which has resulted in water shortage, compelling the residents of Odxel, Sao Paulo Market and Posrem Bhat areas to heavily depend on “external sources” to meet their daily requirements.
The residents of Sao Paulo market and Posrem Bhat areas receive water for just an hour a day in the morning. The residential colonies in the area survive on water tankers, every alternate day.
In Odxel, the situation has aggravated, with the residents receiving water only at 8.30-9 pm. The residents have accused the tanker operators of sucking water and have blamed the village panchayat for issuing licences in a brazen manner, which has led to the grim water situation in Taleigao.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Laxi Kuttikar, a resident of Odxel, said, “We are forced to wait as we receive water only around 8.30 pm or 9 pm. Earlier, we used to bring water from Taleigao. Our demand to the authorities is that water be provided in our area at least twice a day and for at least for two hours.”
Rekha Kuttikar, another resident, said, “The water supply timings are irregular. Sometimes we receive supply at 8 pm or 9 pm. Some people have overhead water tanks, but we cannot afford them. We face a lot of hardship as there are no wells in our area. Nobody cares. We want the authorities to supply water at least twice a day. If that is not possible then at least we should be provided water in the evening for at least two hours.”
Jaishree Harmalkar, another resident from the area, said, “We receive water only in the evening which is stored in buckets. But, receive water bills on time. There is an overhead tank from where water is released. Despite several requests for providing us proper water supply, we are forced to wait for water as the timing is irregular. It is also not so easy to visit the Public Works Department (PWD) again and again leaving our household work. The sad part is that nobody cares.”
Rajmani Vishwakarma, a farmer, said, “We receive irregular water supply. Sometimes we receive water daily and at times on alternate days. We have no idea as to when we will receive water.”
Another farmer, on the condition of anonymity, said that he has observed that ground water level in the area has reduced to a great extent in the last decade.
Social activist Cecille Rodrigues said, “The Taleigao residents are suffering on account of the water shortage for years. Despite regularly informing the Taleigao panchayat not to approve any more construction licences and asking the Public Works Department (PWD) to inform us via a message about the water shortage, all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Not only locals of Taleigao, even those residing in areas that come under the jurisdiction of Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) are also facing water shortage.
Social activist Francis Coelho said, “The Chief Minister has failed the people of Goa miserably. During the budget session of 2019 he had promised that by the end of 2024 there would be 24×7 water supply but now we are in February of 2025 and now the same CM says that the water supply is going to be for only four hours. So 20 hours have been deleted from his promise. This has happened because of zero development and zero infrastructure in the water supply and Water Resources Department.”
CM’S fluid CLAIMS ON WATER
In his 2019 Budget speech, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had loftily claimed that every home in Goa would get 24×7 water supply by 2025. On February 8, 2025, he scaled his claim down to four hours a day in his Assembly speech– and that too by 2026
