CANACONA
Days after Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar stated that PWD water supplied to Agonda and Khola was now safe for consumption, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) for a second time collected water samples from storage tanks for a chemical analysis and bacteriological examinations to ascertain its quality.
A DHS team collected water samples from each of the four storage tanks at Parvem-Betul (Cement tank) and Mudkud Hill-top water plant in Agonda village, as well as at the Shelop water plant and Paryekhatta“Matvemol water plant in Khola village.
The sample was later sent to the DHS wing of the environmental & pollution control, Panaji for chemical analysis and bacteriological examinations.
While the DHS teams collected water samples from both storage tanks at Agonda, there was some confusion at the Shelop water tank, as the 1 lakh-litre capacity cement ground storage tank was found empty.
A PWD Junior Engineer Pobre Dias, who was present at the site along with valve operators, however, said the tank had been emptied fully and expressed his inability to provide water samples from the tank.
Instead, he is reported to have asked the DHS team to collect water samples from the river point, from where water is pumped to the storage tank. Dias later directed the valve operators to start the motor to fill the tank.
The DHS team then proceeded to the Paryekhatta-Matvemoll water plant to collect water samples.
Later in the evening, the PWD recalled the DHS team to pick up water samples from the Shelop water tank.
Incidentally, the PWD Junior Engineer incharge for Agonda village informed that two of the dilapidated and non-functional water filters at Agonda sites were repaired and made operational two weeks ago and since then, the water storage tanks were being filled with filtered water pumped from the Mudkud River.
The engineer claimed that the stored water is treated with chlorine before being supplied to people. He added that the chlorine content from both storage tanks is also regularly checked and tested at the laboratory in Shristhal, before water is supplied to Agonda village.
It may be recalled that Congress leader Janardhan Bhandari had filed a police complaint accusing the PWD of supplying contaminated and untreated water to the people of Agonda and Khola.
Acting on directives of police, the DHS through the Canacona Community Health Centre (CHC) had conducted chemical analysis and bacteriological examinations and found the presence of coliform organisms in all five water storage tanks and recommended the water did not confirm to the standards prescribed for drinking purpose and was not fit for human consumption.
The PWD later took up the task of cleaning these tanks and repairing the non-functional Filtration Plants.
