MAPUSA
Water inspires life and a motley group of villagers from Tivim getting together on World Water Day (March 22) to create awareness of well water did just that.
In a unique exercise, locals of Tivim along with Goacan and volunteers of Tivim Civic and Consumer Forum visited at least 10 wells in Auchit Vaddo, Tivim, on Friday morning.
“It was a unique experience for many of the participants as they were not aware of a lot of schemes and facilities provided by the government to maintain wells,” said Roland Martins, co-ordinator of Goacan.
A discussion to create awareness about people’s rights and responsibilities on implementation of the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act 2002 and Rules 2003 and schemes of the Water Resources Department on Protection of Wells and Rainwater Harvesting was also held on the occasion.
Health Officer of Colvale Primary Health Centre, Dr Damodar Narvekar, also addressed the gathering and impressed on the need to keep the surroundings of the well clean and green.
He also stressed on the need to keep using the well water as stagnant water was a fertile ground for breeding of mosquitoes.
He further informed that PHC officials supplied guppy fish to be inserted into the well to control breeding of mosquitoes.
As the ‘International Decade of Action on Water 2018 “ 2028’ has been launched with the focus being ‘Water for Sustainable Development’, Goacan has been advocating discussions on water needs of Goa for its local population as well as domestic and foreign tourists.
“With tourist arrivals likely to reach over one crore in the next few years, the water needs of consumers will have to be addressed by all stakeholders,” Martins reiterated.
He said Goacan will encourage resolutions at the forthcoming gram sabha meetings to be held in April by mobilising consumer forums, self-help groups, panchayat committees on biodiversity management and water and sanitation to address the water needs of the village in their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
From 2015, Goacan has been observing World Water Day along with consumer forum volunteers by conducting awareness actions in villages and towns like Siolim in Bardez, Avedem in Quepem and Velim and Cuncolim in Salcete.
This year the emphasis was to create awareness on the shortage and safety of drinking water.
