the goan I network
PANAJI
A contingent of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers on Wednesday held a token protest against the water cut that people have been experiencing, outside the Chief Minister’s official residence in Altinho.
The volunteers protested against the false assurances and continued delay with regards to resumption of water supply to the city and taluka.
Questioning three major lapses in administration during the severe water scarcity being faced, AAP leader Valmiki Naik pointed out that the government did not provide any transparency on the actual time it would take to make the necessary repairs.
“Despite knowing the exact scope of work, the government kept misleading the people and giving daily assurances of “two more days” or “one more day” or “a few more hours.” Almost eight days after the landslide, taps in Panaji are yet to see a drop of water, and this is likely to continue for another day or two until the pipes are tested and full flow and pressure is resumed,” Naik said.
Naik also said that there was no accountability for the fiasco. “Not even an enquiry was announced by the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the cause of the damage. The PWD minister, on the other hand, shirked all responsibility, blaming it on the previous minister. When he jumped parties for the post of PWD minister, did he expect to get only the perks and profits of the office and not the responsibility that comes with it?” questioned Naik.
He added that lastly, there were no serious efforts put in by the government to provide sufficient water supply through tankers to residents.
“The PWD’s queue stretched to over 600 requests for tankers, and no attempts were made to temporarily augment its capacity to meet the demand. Private tankers in Panaji were also fully booked, with tankers from nearby areas apparently “not allowed” to supply water to the city for various reasons.
