PANJIM: Though water supply to Tiswadi taluka resumed after a gap of seven days on Thursday, the people of Alto St Cruz were left dry after a pipeline supplying water to the area was damaged due to the negligence of the part of the contractor involved in the National Highway 4A expansion.
The pipeline supplying water to Alto St Cruz developed a major crack near Calapur due to excess mud filling by the contractor, who had been warned against the filling. M Venkata Rao Infrastructure Project Pvt Ltd is the contractor involved in the highway expansion.
The pipeline supplies water to Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), which is already reeling under a severe water crisis since August 15.
When contacted, PWD Executive Engineer Nivruti Parsekar said that due to the excess land filling pressure, the pipeline developed a major crack and water supply was stopped. “We are yet to locate the pipeline as the land filling over it is too much. We have to first clear that and then repair the pipeline. The work has already started,” he said.
St Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes, who visited the site, confronted the contractor and his workers for the negligence. “The pipeline, which goes through the underpass near Calapur-Cujira junction has been damaged. The contractor of MVR Construction, has acted in a complete negligent manner,” he said.
Fernandes said the PWD engineer had warned the contractor from undertaking any filling at the site. “However, overnight, they have done the filling. The filling is so much, that the pipeline was unable to take the pressure and so is damaged,” he said.
