the goan I network
OLD GOA
It was supposed to be a day of joy as the PWD released water to end the 7-day struggle of the people of major parts of Tiswadi due to non-availability of water.
However for the people of Alto-Santa Cruz, parts of Cabesa and Kenkre Estate in St Cruz village and Curca, Bambolim including GMC, Siridao, Paliem, Zuari-Goa Velha and other areas in St Andre constituency, the joy was short-lived, as the major pipeline supplying water to these areas ruptured at the Cujira junction due to the overbridge work undertaken by MVR Infraprojects Ltd.
What’s more, this is the 13th instance when this particular pipeline has ruptured. According to locals, the incident occurred at around 5.30 am and water was seen gushing out of the RE panels which are used to build retaining wall for the approach road to the overbridge.
On learning of the incident, the locals alerted the PWD after which water supply was cut at around 9 am.
St Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes, who had been facing a harrowing time since the past seven days due to non-availability of water in his constituency, rushed to the site and vented out his anger at the staff of MVR who were present at the site.
It was only after Fernandes made a scene at the site that things started moving and a JCB machine used for deep excavation was summoned to remove the dirt under which the water pipeline was buried at the road level, almost 6 metres below.
However, even after being told by activists like Arturo D’Souza and Rama Kankonkar that the work of excavation should be undertaken at the spot where the RE panels are laid, MVR staff began excavation at another place, thereby delaying the entire operation by over two hours.
It was only after the MVR staff realized that they had dug at the wrong place did they start excavation of the mud near the RE panels, as was earlier suggested by D’Souza and Kankonkar.
The excavation work also got delayed as the supporting strips of the RE panels got loose due to which some RE panels started giving way, and a crane had to be used to slowly remove the panels.
By the time the mud was excavated and the RE panels removed, it was almost 7 pm.
However, PWD workers could not immediately start replacement work as the concrete laid over the pipeline had to be broken and there was no concrete breaking machine at the site.
NHAI AE Mahesh Shetty, JE Vitorino Sequeira, PWD AE Gaude, JE Ghanashyam Gaude, JE Pai, JE Lawande, JE Varad and other officials were present at the site.
St Andre MLA Francis Silveira also arrived at the site late in the evening as also OSD to PWD minister Nitin Neurenkar.At the time of going to press, work was still underway to repair the damaged pipeline.
15 days on, water supply continues to elude St Andre & St Cruz
OLD GOA: If Tiswadi and Ponda talukas were reeling under water crisis for the past seven days, areas which were receiving water supply from this major pipeline have been suffering since the past 15 days as the pipeline had earlier ruptured on August 8.
The affected areas included Alto-Santa Cruz, parts of Cabesa and Kenkre Estate in Santa Cruz village and Curca, Bambolim including GMC, Siridao, Paliem, Zuari-Goa Velha and other areas in St Andre constituency.
Speaking to The Goan, Curca Panch Gautam Naik informed that they have been the worst affected since it’s been fifteen days now that they have been not receiving water supply.
“A portion of this pipeline had earlier ruptured on August 8 and by the time it was repaired, the Khandepar incident happened,” Naik said.
“On Thursday when the water supply was resumed, the pipeline again burst thereby delaying the agony of the people.”
Upon inquiry, a PWD official confirmed that water supply to the areas getting water from this pipeline was affected from August 8.
“The same was repaired on August 13, but due to power supply issues at Opa water supply could not be resumed and then on August 15, the Khandepar pipeline burst,” the official informed.
