PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced stricter measures against builders and domestic consumers involved in water theft as the legislative assembly discussed erratic water supply in most parts of Goa.
During a discussion on the Calling Attention motion, Sawant conceded that despite the government providing 16 cubic meters of water free of cost to each domestic household, water theft exists.
“I accept that people steal water. When there are house constructions, some of its owners steal water from the pipes by connecting it to other meters. Even the builders do this. I have given instructions that no builder involved in new construction should get permission until they obtain Water Availability Certificates,” he said.
Further tightening measures against water theft, he assured the House to instruct the Public Works Department to inspect new and recently completed constructions to determine their water sources. “If water theft is detected, the concerned consumer will be fined and required to pay the bill. This will help us to tackle water shortage in Goa,” the Chief Minister added. The government has also decided to increase the penalty for illegal borewells to Rs 10 lakh.
His statements came in response to a joint Calling Attention motion by Opposition legislators Vijai Sardesai and Carlos Ferreira, who raised concerns about severe water shortage in the State. The legislators sought to know steps the government has taken to ensure 24/7 water availability for every household or to provide alternate measures to ensure that Goans have access to potable water.
Further admitting that there is no 24/7 water supply, Sawant accepted the suggestion by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral that at least four hours of water supply is essential.
During the discussion, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo urged the government to stop granting new water connections for building projects, hotels and other commercial establishments, pointing to their practice of using pumps to draw water from the main pipeline. “Because of this, the common man doesn't get enough water,” he stated.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas added that a smart water management system using Artificial Intelligence be introduced. Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao stated that rural areas and villages, which were self-sufficient, are now facing a water crisis. He alleged that the builder mafia is mainly responsible for this.
While reiterating his assurance, Sawant revealed that despite providing 40 per cent free water, the government increased its revenue to Rs 16 crore. “If the limit on the usage of water exceeds, there is an increase in tariff in those households,” he said.
Regarding the smart water meter system, the Chief Minister stated that a Goan start-up has been tasked with checking all billing systems and monitoring each consumer’s water usage, etc, through AI.
