Goa is increasingly facing a new challenge of water scarcity. While tourism and urbanisation have long been key contributors to the State’s economy, the surge of housing projects equipped with swimming pools has escalated the demand for water thereby putting immense pressure on already dwindling underground water reserves. Bore wells are being dug with little regard for the environment, exacerbating the water crisis in rural areas. As a result, villagers are finding it increasingly difficult to access clean drinking water and some villages are forced to rely on water-tanker supplies to meet their basic needs. Large-scale housing projects that are increasingly being built come with luxurious amenities such as swimming pools and landscaped gardens which consume a large quantity of water. In this context, the need for a regulatory framework to govern the construction of swimming pools in residential complexes is critical. Swimming pools, which consume vast amounts of water, require constant replenishment to maintain water levels. Typically, water is drawn from groundwater sources via bore wells or from local water bodies, leading to over-extraction and further depletion of this vital resource. Housing projects with swimming pools should be mandated to have water recycling systems that allow the reuse of pool water and to install rainwater harvesting systems. Goa has a strict policy on groundwater use regulated under the Goa Ground Water Regulation Act, 2002, and its subsequent amendments, with the entire State notified as a regulated area. A policy on construction of swimming pools in housing projects is also needed to prevent groundwater depletion.
