Parts of Bardez, including Mapusa, are reeling under a severe scarcity of water. A drought-like situation persisted for nearly a week after the Water Resources Department decided to cut off supply to Assonora water treatment plant from the Amthane dam fearing depletion. The water supplied from the Tillari canal continues to be turbid creating a panic situation among officials and the people in question. The situation is worse because there have been frequent power cuts for hours together crippling normal life further.
The frustration and angst of Mapusa residents who marched on the PWD officials are palpable. And the least the government could do was to supply adequate water tankers to temporarily tide over the situation.
The overall resentment against the government is building up over its failure to deliver even the basics of life. Water and electricity crises have been most common across the State. Add to this the agony and pain that motorists have to endure because of the pathetic condition of roads. The very fact that the government has told the High Court that it will get rid of potholes before the New Year itself shows that it played the bluff all along. This goes to explain that all the early assurances on covering potholes were empty promises. And PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar’s talk on Whatsapping potholes to importing tar for better roads is an eyewash.
Meanwhile, in nearby Bambolim, it’s a picture of stark contrast where the buzz is about promoting Goa as a business destination at the Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit. Around 500 international delegates are visiting in addition to the 1500 national business representatives that are pitching in to make business in Goa. There are knowledge sessions and the discussions from Goa’s perspective are revolving around taking the State forward. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his message has asked foreign investors to look at Goa as an investment destination. Very soon the International Film Festival will roll out too and Panaji will glitter in all its grandeur.
But what kind of a message are we sending across to the world with an infrastructure which is failing time and again? The people of the State are fighting for their daily basic needs like water, power and motorable roads. What do we tell the nation and the outside world when they see stacks of garbage raising a stench even in the capital which is projected as a smart city? How do we hide the embarrassment when visitors learn that our legislators are fighting garbage wars for vested political interests and not out of concern for the affected people?
The Vibrant Goa summit is an excellent initiative and can do a world of good to the State. But for that to happen, the government should first put up at least the basic infrastructure firmly in place. The picture of Goa Shinning cannot be complete with common citizens of the State grappling in the dark and struggling to get their daily water. If Goa is to move forward at a pace a lot of ground has to be covered first.
