PANAJI
Rapid growth and development has spiked Goa's treated water needs beyond its capacity and data furnished by a top PWD official indicates that the State is short by nearly 80 mld (million litres per day).
Currently, the State's requirements are in the region of 630 mld of water but the various water treatment plants collectively treat about 550 mld before it is supplied through the intra-State PWD water pipeline network.
Further, if the current trends of growth and development continue, the daily treated water needs could rise further and accordingly the PWD has embarked on either setting up new plants or enhancing the capacities of existing ones to add an aggregate of 200 mld to its water treatment capacity.
Increasing migration into the State and industrial growth have been identified as the two main factors contributing to the rise in Goa's treated water demand annually.
Currently, the State's demand is pegged at 630 mld of water but the aggregate quantum of water treated at the water treatment plants running across the State and supplied by the PWD through its pipeline network is approximately 550 mld.
According to PWD Executive Engineer, Santosh Mhapne, four projects on which work has already begun include Tuem where a 30 mld plant is being built, Pilerne with 15 mld capacity, 6.5 mld at Siolim and augmentation of the plant at Selaulim with an additional capacity of 100 mld.
Additionally, the process to issue tenders for two more 25 mld capacity projects at Dhumashem and Morlem is already on and these projects are expected to be tendered out by the middle of the current year, he added.
