MAPUSA
Nearly 72 hours after the Tillari canal breached on its Maharashtra stretch, water supply remains disrupted in several parts of Bardez, with Mapusa bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Many areas have gone without water for three consecutive days, leaving residents struggling to meet their daily needs.
The water supply from the PWD pipeline has come to a complete halt, forcing people in Mapusa and nearby areas to depend on water tankers, which have seen a surge in demand.
Building colonies and households have been heavily reliant on tankers, with some residents resorting to purchasing large bottles of packaged drinking water to tide over the shortage.
“Things have gone horribly wrong after the breach in the Tillari canal. Many areas in Mapusa have not received water for almost three days. We are trying our best to attend to our people,” said Mapusa Chairperson Nutan Bicholkar.
The crisis has also affected parts of Siolim and Porvorim, where residents have voiced frustration over the PWD's failure to make alternative arrangements.
“Every time there is a breach, the people of Mapusa suffer. Why hasn’t the government found a permanent solution, such as sourcing water from other areas during such emergencies? Either the engineers are incompetent, or the government lacks vision,” said Manoj Naik, a resident of Peddem, Mapusa.
A Siolim resident, Gregory D’Souza shared his ordeal, stating that he spent Rs 1,300 on a water tanker to meet the needs of his building colony.
The situation has proved to be a windfall for water tanker operators, who reported being inundated with requests for supply over the past three days.
According to PWD Executive Engineer Neuriti Parsekar, the department faced additional challenges in addressing the crisis.
“Normally, when there is no supply from the Tillari canal, we source raw water from the Amtanem dam. However, the dam’s gate failed to open, disrupting our plans to restore water supply,” Parsekar explained.
As a last resort, the PWD has begun pumping raw water from the Sal River. “We expect to restore water supply in most affected areas by late tonight,” Parsekar assured.
While residents wait for relief, the incident highlights ongoing challenges in managing water supply disruptions.
The lack of contingency measures during canal breaches has left many questioning the preparedness and efficiency of the PWD in tackling such crises.
