the goan I network
MAPUSA
Contending that the State government has initiated action against the menace of illegal booster pumps, PWD (water) Executive Engineer Nitin Neurekar has said a task force has been constituted to detect and take action against those who have illegally installed booster pumps on the water supply pipeline.
He also said department officials along with the local MLA and panchayat members carried out an inspection in Nerul village on Wednesday.
“At least five persons have voluntarily removed booster pumps illegally installed by them in Nerul. We are going to take action against all those who have been indulging in such illegal activity. We have sought cooperation from local panchayat members in curbing this menace,” Neurekar said.
The village of Nerul was in the news last month after locals raised hue and cry over acute water shortage. The Nerul Civic and Consumers Forum then took up the matter with the PWD principal chief engineer.
The PWD executive engineer informed it was
difficult to detect booster pumps but the task force has been trained in certain
ways to identify these illegal activities.
“Even if we can achieve a target of identifying 50 percent of the illegal booster pumps, it will be a big relief for consumers and to the water shortage problem,” Neurekar said.
Although the booster pumps issue was quite widespread, the department officials informed that the nuisance was mostly seen in Nerul and Siolim villages.
Recently, locals of Gudem, a village at the tail-end of Siolim-Marna village panchayat, complained of water shortage after they failed to get supply for several days during the lockdown.
The PWD in a public notice, last week, had warned to permanently cut water supply and also file a police complaint against consumers who have been illegally using booster pumps to draw water from PWD pipeline.
The PWD had warned the consumers to remove the booster pumps within three days of the issuance of the public notice failing which action will be initiated against them under the Water Supply Act.
“Use of booster pump is prohibited as per water
supply act and bye-laws which is punishable with a fine of Rs 10,000 or six months simple imprisonment,” Neurekar said.
He also said that a police complaint will be lodged against the offender and water connection will be disconnected permanently.
