Locals question why facility supplies to neighbouring areas; sarpanch cites technical snag to overhead tank
MAPUSA
Barely two months after a new 5.6 MLD water treatment plant was commissioned at Badem, Assagao, residents of Assagao village say they continue to face acute water shortages – a paradox that dominated discussions at Sunday’s Gram Sabha.
Villagers questioned how a major facility set up within their own village could be supplying water to neighbouring areas while leaving Assagao residents struggling for regular supply. One local pointed out that water from the plant was reaching parts of Anjuna and even Siolim, but not households in Assagao.
Responding to the concerns, Sarpanch Hanumant Naik explained that the problem was technical in nature. According to him, the overhead water tank is located at a higher elevation near DMC College, making it difficult for water to be pumped upward efficiently.
“It is a technical issue. We have repeatedly taken it up with the department engineers, but despite several attempts, the problem remains unresolved,” Naik said.
He added that engineers had dug up roads multiple times in an effort to trace and rectify the fault. “Even a newly hot-mixed road had to be dug up to locate the issue, but they could not fix it,” he said, expressing frustration over the delay.
Naik informed the Gram Sabha that he, along with other panchayat members, had met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to apprise him of the situation. “The Chief Minister immediately called the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department and instructed him to resolve the matter on priority,” Naik said, while noting that the issue is yet to be fully addressed.
Apart from the water crisis, the Gram Sabha also deliberated on the persistent cattle menace in the village. The panchayat resolved to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Mayem-Sinquerim Gaushala to relocate stray cattle roaming on village roads.
Naik further informed that the Assagao comunidade has allotted nearly 1,000 square metres of land to the panchayat for setting up essential facilities. Of this, 500 square metres will be used for sorting dry garbage, while 250 square metres each have been earmarked for a dog shelter and a cattle pound.
The Gram Sabha also complimented the village panchayat for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the construction of a compound wall in Survey No. 61/1, terming it a necessary step in regulating development activities.
