MAPUSA
In the coastal villages of Assagao and Anjuna, the scarcity of regular Public Works Department (PWD) water supply has inadvertently fuelled a burgeoning water tanker business, with shocking revelations pointing towards the involvement of elected representatives and their relatives in profiteering from this vital resource.
Reports suggest that certain members of panchayats in Assagao and Anjuna have veered into the lucrative water tanker trade, exploiting the dire need for water in these communities.
It has come to light that these panchayat members, along with their kin, own and operate water tankers, catering not only to local residents but also to hotels and other commercial establishments.
A concerned resident of Assagao, Erwin Fonseca emphasized that the involvement of panchayat members in this enterprise is an open secret within the community.
“It’s not something secret. Everyone in the village knows who the panchayat members are who run the water tanker business and how many tankers they operate," Fonseca said.
He further reveals the extent of the proliferation, indicating that nearly every third household in the village possesses a water tanker, highlighting the pervasive nature of this exploitative industry.
Similarly, in Anjuna, while direct ownership of tankers by panchayat members might be less common, their relatives are reportedly deeply entrenched in the water tanker business.
Shockingly, it's not just elected representatives and their families profiting from this enterprise.
Sources reveal that even some members of the police force from Assagao and Anjuna are involved in the water tanker business.
Despite the gravity of the issue, authorities seem incapacitated in curbing the illegal activities.
A senior official from the water resources department admits to the department's limitations, stating, "the WRD does not have an enforcement section. You don’t expect us to leave our official work and keep a check on each and every water tanker."
The proliferation of water tankers has reached alarming levels, causing disruptions to traffic flow and exacerbating the depletion of groundwater reserves as operators indiscriminately exploit private wells and bore wells.
