RAIA: At the time Goa is in a water crisis, thousands of litres of water are getting wasted at Manora-Raia due to leakage in a water pipeline from Selaulim to Vasco for the past two years. Locals fear that if this continues, the pipeline could burst, causing flooding in the low-lying areas.
Shockingly, the Public Works Department (Water Supply) is yet to stop the leakage, though they are well aware of the situation. The Department is waiting for a complete shutdown of the said pipeline before repairing it.
The PWD’s take is that the people of Vasco will face severe water shortage if they try to stop the water supply for plugging the leakage. But they are fine for a leaking pipeline to waste litres of water each day
At Manora-Raia, it was witnessed that water is being wasted at two locations within a distance of fifty metres. Residents and even the local panch member told O Heraldo that they have been continuously complaining to the officials of the PWD.
Water is flowing into the nullah and nearby fields continuously.
Philomena D’Souza, a senior citizen, said, “On one hand people are struggling due to the water crisis and on the other hand, authorities are not taking any action to stop the leakage. We fear that one day the pipeline may burst and flood the locality as the pipeline laid down over here is a big one,” she said.
Mario D’Souza, a local panch member of village panchayat Raia, informed, “I have personally met the officials and urged them to repair the pipeline so that water is not wasted. However, they claim it is a minor leakage”, he stated.
Agreeing that there is continuous leakage in the pipeline at Manora for a very long period, K Shetkar, Technical Assistant of the PWD said that the department is helpless.
“This being a main pipeline from Selaulim to Vasco, we just can’t stop the supply to repair the minor leakages. It can be repaired only when there is a total shutdown of the water supply from this pipeline or the people of Vasco will face a lot of hardships,” he said.
