VASCO
Bogmalo Sarpanch Lorena Da Cunha and Dy Sarpanch Sankalp Mahale on Monday have threatened to lead a protest with residents outside the PWD office in Baina if water supply problems in the village are not resolved by Thursday.
They also demanded the intervention of PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral to find a permanent solution to the water supply crisis.
"Bogmalo has been facing water supply issues and despite contacting PWD officials regularly, we get different answers all the time and no one has a genuine reason over the cause of this problem.”
“We are willing to spend our money but the PWD does not even have tankers to supply water to the area and there is no solution at all to this issue. How should we answer the people who are asking us to get the water supply issue resolved? Some people, including senior citizens, have to walk long distances to draw water from wells," Said Da Cunha.
Da Cunha said they had visited the PWD office after being fed up with vague replies from PWD officials.
“The PWD claims there is water shortage from Selaulim and the engineer has assured to personally monitor the situation in two days and take remedial steps to restore water supply," the sarpanch added.
Bogmalo Dy Sarpanch Sankalp Mahale said residents would march to the PWD office and participate in a mass demonstration if the water supply issue is not restored by Thursday.
"If the PWD is supplying water to Bogmalo and people are not getting it, then where is the water going for the last so many months? There is no solution from the PWD department and it is time PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral personally intervenes in the issue.”
“As per sources, there used to be a booster in Dabolim for water supply to Bogmalo but it has been ten years since that booster has been stopped despite a rise in water connections and houses. We have suggested that the booster be reactivated immediately," said Mahale.
"We don't have faith in verbal assurances by the PWD and if the issue is not resolved by Thursday, residents will agitate outside the PWD office.”
Mahale claimed the PWD did not have adequate water tankers.
“The PWD has only one tanker and one panch member had asked for a tanker on Friday, which has not come to Bogmalo till date. The PWD minister must look into this and provide the PWD with additional tankers if required," said Mahale.
‘Many houses on hillock, issue with pressure’
VASCO: PWD Assistant Engineer Naresh Painguinkar claimed that many houses in Bogmalo were on a hillock which had led to some issue of pressure in the last few days, besides the shortage of water supply from Seraulim.
"We have already submitted a proposal to the government to replace the existing lines with a bigger line and it has been sanctioned and we are awaiting a tender. Then, the issue will be resolved.”
“Meanwhile I have assured to visit the site and take immediate remedial steps and to arrange for supply of water through tankers. When we receive less water from Selaulim, we supply on alternate days but despite this, the houses on hillocks face issue and we keep water tankers for these houses on standby,” said Painguinkar.
