OLD GOA
On the lines of reporting of potholes, the public will now be able to report about water leakages, non-painting of speed breakers and signboards.
Speaking to The Goan, PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral informed that the app ‘PWD Goa’ is already being used to report about potholes.
“It took us a year to streamline the process of potholes removal and now I can monitor the same on my mobile. Just like potholes, the ‘PWD Goa’ app would be integrated to use it for reporting about water pipeline leakages, painting of speed breakers and signboards,” the minister added.
“The same would be launched very soon and the public should just click the photos and post it on the app. The engineers will then be held responsible to resolve the issues,” Cabral said.
“Initially, when the app was launched for removal of potholes, there were some issues but now everything is streamlined. The panchas, public and others should be trained in using the app so that the society becomes part of the government,” he stated.
Cabral, however, raised concerns over unplanned and illegal structures which puts pressure on water supply facilities saying such structures will be charged double tariff for water supply in the future.
He was speaking at the inaugural of Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme to improve water supply in Cumbarjua constituency, as well as inaugural of 800 cubic meter ground level reservoir (GLR) at Corlim.
Cabral said, “for planned or legal structures, the water tariff will remain the same but for unplanned or illegal structures, the water tariff will be doubled.”
“When plots are developed, open spaces are not kept and these are illegally converted into plots which are bought by people. Then PWD faces the problem of setting up infrastructure like water reservoirs,” Cabral said.
The minister stated that he has already discussed with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant the need to charge double tariff from such structures which are unplanned or built illegally without leaving setbacks.
“This water reservoir could be built at Corlim because there was open space available,” Cabral added and informed that the entire project, costing over Rs 11 crore, would be completed in another three months.
Further, he urged the people to use water judiciously as currently the State is facing shortage due to delay in the rains.
“With rains delayed, two dams have dried and people should consume water judiciously to tide over the situation,” Cabral urged.
On his part, Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai said the Corlim water reservoir would provide relief to 500 households of Corlim, Malar and Mangado.
“We have also made provision for a pump to divert water to other areas during an emergency,” Faldessai informed while adding that the water supply issue of around 20 households at Mangado would be resolved in six months.
Corlim Sarpanch Baptist Pereira said that the GLR has become a reality after 50 years and it happened due to the availability of an open space.
Pereira further urged the public to provide for space to build such water reservoirs to solve the water supply issue.
Carambolim Sarpanch Kushta Salelkar, Corlim Deputy Sarpanch Supriya Kerkar, EE Nivruti Parsekar, panchas and others were also present.
