SANGUEM
Laying a pipeline in the village makes little sense if the line is not connected to the water supply line and does not supply water to people in the area.
This is the plight of about 400 residents in three wards of Sanvordem, who have been facing acute water shortage in their area.
In the absence of individual tap connections, these 400 villagers residing in about 200 houses at Periudok, Ambeudok and Guddemoll are solely dependent on water tankers and have to wait for about a week for their turn to get a fresh supply of water.
Sanvordem panchayat member Ulhas Naik said the water issue has been plaguing the three wards for several years.
“However, authorities have failed to get the issue resolved despite frequent requests and reminders from the local panchayat body. During every election, politicians visit the village and give assurances of solving the water problems but nothing has happened till date.”
“A pipeline under the JICA project to facilitate drinking water was also laid in the village but this pipeline has not been connected to the main pipeline. Officials have conducted surveys regarding water pressure problems but have failed to find a solution.”
“All of us wonder how water from the Selaulim Dam can be supplied to distant places like Mormugao when the department cannot make water available to places like Guddemol and Periudok, located barely 12-15 km from the dam,” claimed Naik.
Naik said around four water tankers are supplied to one ward regularly, but added it was not sufficient to meet the water requirements of the villagers.
“With about four tankers, every family gets their turn to collect water only every eight days. At least seven tankers are needed per day, to increase the frequency of water supplied to these families.”
Naik said officials from the water supply department had visited the village on Wednesday evening at the instance of Sanvordem sarpanch but left without providing a concrete solution to the issue.
“The officials reportedly informed the villagers that water would continue to be supplied through tankers till the water pressure problem is resolved in the affected wards,” he said.
A villager, Roshni Naik, said water stored for eight days at a stretch emanates foul smell.
“We risk our lives while using this water, but we have no alternative but to use the contaminated water,” lamented Naik.
She criticised various governments for failing to address the water supply problems faced by villagers residing in the three wards.
“Surrounding areas get enough water but authorities have failed to ensure that water reaches our villages even though our area falls under the constituency of PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar,” she said.
The villagers have now threatened to boycott future elections if authorities fail to resolve their grievances.
