PANAJI
Goa's recurring water supply problems have come into sharp focus, with more than 5,200 complaints of water scarcity and supply disruptions recorded between January 2022 and January 2026.
Data tabled in the Goa Legislative Assembly revealed that the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Drinking Water Department (DWD) got 5,208 complaints during the four-year period, translating to an average of more than three complaints daily.
Most grievances were related to lack of water supply, low water pressure and pipeline leakages.
Saligao topped the list with 570 complaints, and it was closely followed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's Sanquelim with 478.
Bicholim recorded the least with 252 complaints and 289 residents from Canacona notified the authorities of water troubles.
Margao, Benaulim and Fatorda registered 250, 240 and 199 complaints respectively.
Other constituencies reporting significant numbers included Curchorem (253), Siolim (231), Mapusa (223), Dabolim (189), Cortalim (182), Pernem (173) and Taleigao (155).
Notably, Quepem was the only constituency that did not report a single water scarcity complaint during the period.
The government informed the Assembly that all complaints were resolved within 24 hours.
The data also showed that 122 major incidents disrupted water supply across the State during the period. These included pump failures, bursts in water pipelines and breakdowns of pumping station equipment caused by voltage fluctuations.
Tankers to the rescue
To tackle these problems, the department relied heavily on water tankers. A total of 92,697 tanker trips were carried out to supply water to affected areas between January 2022 and January 2026.
The highest tanker deployment in a single year was recorded in 2022-23, when 10,585 trips were made, mostly to supply water to Goa Medical College.
The figures indicate growing challenges facing Goa's water distribution system, particularly during the summer months. The data also highlights the continued dependence on emergency tanker services.
