MAPUSA
While Goa has been drenched in relentless monsoon showers over the past several days, families in Vaddy, Siolim and Deulwada, Anjuna, continue to grapple with an ironic reality “ a crippling shortage of drinking water.
Despite the PWD pipeline passing right through their villages and every household having a tap connection, residents say water supply has either stopped altogether or reduced to a mere trickle, leaving them dependent on expensive private tankers.
“At the last gram sabha, we raised the issue of not getting any pipeline water. The very next day, water was released at full pressure, but that lasted only for two days. Since then, it’s back to the old story “ dry taps,” said Udesh Pangam, a resident of Vaddy, Siolim.
In Deulwada, Anjuna, the situation has been no different. Around 20 to 25 households have faced erratic supply for months, often struggling even during festivals.
“Why should we suffer when the water is diverted to coastal hoteliers? Even during festivals, we had to manage without water,” said Sukanthi Korgaonkar, a resident of Deulwada.
With no other option, villagers are forced to pool in money and call for private tankers almost every day.
“This has become a daily struggle. We cannot keep buying water forever,” complained another Anjuna resident.
Some families in Deulwada rely on a local borewell for washing and cleaning, but for drinking water they still depend on tankers.
Social worker Parvati Nagvenkar, who has been supporting the villagers, said that they are planning to meet the PWD engineer with an appeal to resolve the issue at the earliest.
When contacted, Assistant Engineer PWD (Water), Osley Paes admitted that some households in Deulwada were not connected to the present overhead tank.
“Very soon we are supposed to commission another overhead tank to which they will be linked and their supply will be restored,” he said.
He further maintained that the problem at Vaddy had already been resolved two months ago.
But on the ground, residents insist little has changed.
For now, even as Goa’s rivers swell and rainwater gushes through overflowing gutters, many households in Siolim and Anjuna are left paying for every drop of water they drink.
