the goan I network
PANAJI
Patience is running out among Tiswadi and Ponda residents as overwhelmed by sheer numbers the Public Works Department is falling woefully short in meeting their water needs by tanker supply even as the government has announced extension from Monday to Tuesday the deadline for completion of repair work on the main pipelines at Curti.
On the fourth day since water supply was disrupted, citizens’ thirst for water in the affected Tiswadi and Ponda talukas peaked and PWD officials handling the tanker supply were struggling to deal with the public.
In the capital city, the tanker requisition list kept elongating and the wait-list by Sunday evening had run into the hundreds.
Early Sunday morning, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the site at Curti where work is in progress to restore the 900 mm dia and 750 mm dia pipelines which were dislocated and subsequently broke on Independence day at around noon.
Sawant discussed the progress of the work with the engineers and contractors at the site and later announced that the normal supply of water to Tiswadi and Ponda will now be restored by Tuesday evening instead of the earlier announced Monday.
At around noon on August 15, the retaining wall
supporting the two main pipelines gave way as rain kept pounding Goa causing the pipelines
to break. The two pipelines were crucial to the PWD’s network of pipeline supplying water to Ponda and Tiswadi from the Opa-Khandepar water works.
Meanwhile PWD Minister Dipak Pauskar was quoted as saying that the pipeline breakage at Curti “was preventable” and blamed engineers for neglecting the warning signs.
Pauskar said the water supply to affected areas will be restored by Tuesday afternoon and that warning signs that the pipeline was in danger of breaking were there but ignored by the PWD hierarchy.
The minister also claimed that the plans to shift the now broken pipelines to run parallel to the highway but on the opposite side as part of the ongoing highway expansion project remained in the drawing board of the PWD.
He assured that work to rebuild the supporting retaining wall’s collapsed portion as also repairs of the pipelines is being carried out round the clock. He claimed the repair work will be completed either on Monday evening or Tuesday morning and the water supply restored thereafter.
It will take at least three hours for water to flow from Opa to the reservoirs at Altinho for supply to Panaji, he added.
The minister said steps and precautionary measures will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future.
Sawant inspects site at Curti
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited Curti and inspected the site where Public Works Department engineers and contractors are working round-the-clock for the fourth day on Sunday to restore the 900 mm dia and 750 mm dia pipelines which broke down on Independence day completely disrupting water supply to Tiswadi and Ponda.
“Chief Minister @DrPramodSawant takes stock of the work underway for restoration of water supply pipeline at Curti - Khandepar” the official handle “CMO Goa” tweeted.
Sawant who had earlier on Saturday said that normal water supply would be restored latest by Monday evening has now said it will realistically be possible to do it on Tuesday afternoon.
