The historic centuries old Ribandar causeway is waiting for the attention of the heritage conservation institutes for its preservation and survival.
Kadamba plateau which is a few just kilometers away from Panjim is fast emerging as the newest destination for real-estate. With the Old Goa-bypass being commissioned, the area is much in demand with builders looking at the plateau as the potential best residential and commercial hub.
The biggest issue haunting the residents is non-availability of tap-water. Water crisis is at its worst for locals residing in the area and threatens to get worsen with more and more developmental projects coming up at the plateau.
In the absence of a water-pipeline, the residents are forced to depend on either bore-wells or water-tankers. And the way the plateau is growing, there are serious concerns raised by the people about the possible decline in water level, thereby draining the bore-wells.
Kadamba Plateau Residents Action Committee (KPRAC), President, Nilesh Joshi said “We have a valid panchayat and statutory licenses for occupying the houses constructed, but the government has not provided us tap water. We want the authorities to supply water on a temporary basis till they are able to supply it regularly”
“The residents have been managing their water requirement through privately-sourced water tankers for which they spend up to Rs 2,000-2,500 per month. The PWD had laid a water pipe-line for Kadamba Plateau but it was damaged due to the construction work of the new highway work,” he said, and added that KPRAC recently met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and requested him to resolve the public water supply facility problems at the plateau. During the meeting Chief Minister assured tap water supply to the area by October, 2017.
KPRAC had brought to the notice of the government that domestic water woes continue to affect the residents of Kadamba Plateau even though people have been residing in this area with valid panchayat and statutory clearances for over two decades, the government till date has failed to provide tap water.
Another resident of Kadamba plateau, Sandeep Naik said the tap-water availability is almost nil in the area, which is now developing at a rapid pace. People are facing serious crisis of domestic water supply. The big colonies have bore wells, whereas the other residents are completely dependent on tanker water.
Meanwhile, PWD, Executive Engineer, Dilip Dhavlikar said some of the water pipelines were removed during the road widening process in the area. The pipelines will be restored soon and order has been placed for new pipes for which the work is expected to be completed by July 2018.
It is learnt that the government has already constructed two major water tanks each of 650 MLD at the plateau for supply of water to the residents; however, the water collection in the tanks is not sufficient enough to tackle the need of the entire plateau, which is growing at a much faster pace.
When contacted, local MLA and Minister Pandurang Madkaikar said that he is constantly following up the matter with the PWD officials and that the entire water issue would be resolved by March, next year.
“OPA treatment plant will be able to provide us five to six MLD of water which will take care of the existing need. There are some works which are going on at the water plant and once that is done water problem will be solved” he said.
