PANAJI
Over the last few days, heavy rainfall has led to flood-like conditions in several parts of Goa. Despite the abundance of natural water outside, many areas in North Goa, including Calangute, Arpora, Nagoa, Parra, and Canca, faced significant water shortages last week, particularly on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and for a few hours on Saturday.
During this period, residents often received water for just an hour, while most of the time, there was no proper water supply.
Speaking to The Goan, Ossly Paes, PWD JE, explained the reasons behind the water supply issues. He mentioned that in Mapusa, there was a pipeline shift that resulted in restricted or no water supply. The residents were informed about this in advance.
However, in the following two days, a damaged pipeline at Verla Canca, caused by underground cabling work, led to further disruptions. Despite repair efforts, a technical fault caused additional leaks, exacerbating the water shortage. Eventually, the pipeline was repaired, and normal water supply resumed by Sunday.
Local residents expressed their frustration over the inconsistent water supply. Despite the heavy rains, their household taps remained dry.
Patricia D’Souza from Nagoa highlighted the lack of communication on the second day of the outage. She mentioned that while they did receive some water intermittently, the shortages significantly disrupted their daily routines. Patricia noted that on the third day, someone from the local Panchayat informed them about the damage to the main water pipeline at Verla Canca.
Antonette Fernandes from Canca also shared her difficulties, mentioning that the lack of a well at her home forced her to purchase drinking water and rely on whatever water she could collect during the brief supply. The shortage severely affected her daily activities.
Despite the heavy rains and floods in Goa, many areas in North Goa faced severe water shortages. While there was plenty of rainwater outside, household taps remained dry. Residents had to collect rainwater or find other sources to cope.
This situation highlights the need for better infrastructure and communication during such times.
