PANAJI: Drinking Water Minister Subhash Phal Dessai on Thursday assured uninterrupted water supply in the state till May, even as deficient rainfall raises concerns over water availability. He has urged residents to use water judiciously and avoid wasting treated drinking water on gardening, swimming pools and washing vehicles.
Phal Dessai said the government was taking precautionary measures to manage water availability over the coming months. Officials, ministers and engineers held a coordination meeting in the morning, following which engineers inspected the Water Resources Department’s treatment and distribution operations. “The present situation is concerning due to deficient rainfall, but the government is taking precautionary measures to ensure that water supply is maintained,” the minister said, assuring residents that there was no need to panic.
He pointed out that treated drinking water is supplied at heavily subsidised rates despite the high cost of production in Goa. Residents, he said, must recognise the value of the resource and avoid unnecessary wastage. “People should not use treated drinking water for gardening, swimming pools or washing vehicles. We need to use water carefully and avoid its misuse,” Phal Dessai said. The minister said restrictions were being enforced on non-essential uses of water, including swimming pools, as part of the government’s efforts to manage available supplies. Decisions are being coordinated across departments under the Chief Minister’s direction to address the challenges anticipated over the coming months.
New construction projects will be required to obtain water availability certificates and will not be permitted to use treated drinking water for construction activities. The government is also working on clear guidelines and a single-window permission system, which is expected to be introduced within a month. The proposed system will have a validity period of two years. Water inspectors and supervisors will monitor distribution and storage to protect available reserves. The government is also putting measures in place to manage reservoir storage and maintain supplies through the coming months.
As part of its efforts to diversify water sources, the government is exploring the revival of local streams and small water schemes that were abandoned after dams were constructed. Engineers have been tasked with identifying suitable sources that can be restored to supplement existing supplies. The government is also exploring the use of water from abandoned mining pits. The water will be treated before being supplied to villages, helping local panchayats move towards greater self-sufficiency. A three-month pilot project is underway in mining areas to demonstrate how villages can meet their daily water requirements using treated mining pit water. The initiative is expected to help assess the feasibility of using these sources to supplement conventional water supplies.
Phal Dessai also appealed to residents, particularly those in urban areas, to check household plumbing and repair leaking taps, bathrooms and pipelines promptly. The department will provide assistance where required. The minister said the government was working on both immediate conservation measures and alternative supply arrangements to manage the situation. Public cooperation, he stressed, would be essential to prevent wastage and ensure that available resources were used responsibly.
The government has assured residents that pumping operations and storage management plans are in place to maintain supplies. However, the minister urged people to conserve water and cooperate with the restrictions to help Goa manage the impact of deficient rainfall.
