the goan I network
MARGAO
While the PWD officials rushed with alacrity on Tuesday morning to repair the damaged pipeline and the road after being left red faced over an NGO’s action of planting a papaya tree right in the middle of the road, they did not realise that their action will leave the taps along the coastal belt dry since Tuesday.
Residents of the coastal belt spanning from Benaulim to Majorda on Wednesday bitterly complained of their taps running dry from Tuesday morning. Realisation later dawned that the water shortage to the coastal belt was caused by the repair work on the old market water pipeline which supplies water to the coastal belt.
A resident of Benaulim Anthony Fernandes told The Goan that residents had to go without water since Tuesday morning ever since the PWD officials took up the repair work at the old market circle. “The PWD ought to have intimated the residents over the disruption in the water supply to the coastal belt before taking up the repair work. People had to rely on the traditional wells to meet their water requirements after the taps suddenly ran dry,” Anthony said.
When The Goan contacted a PWD, Water supply Assistant engineer Naik to shed light on the water shortage, he attributed it to the old market circle repair work, which began early Tuesday morning and got over only on Wednesday morning. “There was no time to intimate the water consumers of the villages of Benaulim, Colva, Betalbatim and Majorda over the disruption in water supply since we decided to take up the work on an urgent basis. The work was delayed due to the rains and the decision to replace the 35-year old pipeline. We have restored the water supply today,” Naik said.
