Pernem: Life has turned into a nightmare for people in Mandrem constituency as people are struggling with acute water shortage. Villages from Tuem to Keri, Agarwada Chopdem, Morjim, Mandrem, Arambol, Paliem have turned parched dry as their taps have run dry.
The Chandel water treatment plant which caters to whole of Pernem taluka is unable to cater to the increasing demand for the water as it is over loaded. The population of Pernem is almost 90,500 and the taluka as a whole receives only 15 MLD of water when the actual demand is more than 30 MLD.
The existing water treatment plant at Chandel supplies water to 22 villages of Pernem taluka. From this 15 MLD, around 3MLD water is supplied to each village located along the beach belt. But taking into consideration, the population and high movement of tourists, the consumption of water is more in these villages.
Pernem Taluka has four beaches namely such as Armabol, Morjim, Mandrem and Keri which attracts hordes of tourists throughout the year and the demand for water is ever increasing while the supply is limited.
Similarly the Tuem, Agarwada Chopdem and Parse also face the issue of irregular water supply.
People residing in coastal belt of Mandrem have claimed that irregular water supply have become a daily routine and have to heavily depend on private tankers to quench their thirst.
Sources also informed that every month around 25 to 40 new connections get added to the total number of tap connections however the amount of water supply from the Chandel plant has remained the same.
The Morjim panchayat body submitted a letter to Pernem PWD water section in charge requesting to regularise the water supply.
