CANACONA
Imagine a situation where three water meters are given but the pipeline is never laid and finally, the meters are taken away.
This is the plight of three families from Loliem-Polem at a time when the government has claimed 100% 'Har Ghar Jal' in the State.
Three families have now criticised the PWD for feeding wrong information to the government, despite being fully aware of their inability to provide water taps to many households.
“Under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission,’ three of our families residing independently in Ward 5 of Loliem-Polem village had submitted our files along with a Demand Draft of Rs 500 each. The PWD (water supply) even installed three water taps along with meters,” said Vidhi Karat.
“Whenever we approached the PWD, they always maintained that a pipeline is being laid, but in reality, the pipeline was never laid and the tap and meter remained without water supply for many months.”
“Then finally one day, a JE from the PWD came, dismantled all the three taps and meters and took them away on a single day, without informing us. Now, we don't have Nal or Jal,” complained Karat.
The residents even pointed towards a compound wall to show where the tap and meter had been installed, before they were taken away.
“During summer, we have to virtually depend on buying water from water tankers as our only source, a well in the locality, goes dry.”
When contacted, Ward Panch Ashutosh Bandekar informed that around 6 months ago, the files along with DDs that he had submitted are still lying with the PWD.
“The PWD engineer has himself uninstalled and taken away the meter box and meter. They are now lying without any remorse that the meters were never installed in the first place.”
“I am a witness to the meters and meter boxes. In fact, anyone can still see the spots where meters were fitted and later dismantled before taking them away.”
“Worst still, they are giving wrong information to the government that Nal and Jal have been provided to all people. When they are fully aware that there are certain households where tap connections are not provided, how can the PWD notify the government of having provided water taps to all households of Canacona? The engineers have lied to the chief minister,” said Bandekar.
Incidentally, in June 2020 during a meeting convened by then Canacona MLA and Dy Speaker Isidore Fernandes, PWD Chief Engineer (Water supply) Anil Ringane had informed that as many as 33,111 households in Canacona taluka would be provided water connections under the Jal Jivan Mission.
Claiming that the entire process is online and transparent, Ringane maintained that though the scheme was to be completed by 2022, PWD was trying to achieve the target by the end of December 2020.
