It is a classic case of “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink”. Despite record rains this year the taps in Anjuna have reportedly run dry for months leaving the community grappling with the unrelenting issue of irregular water supply. This has forced the locals to come on the streets armed with buckets, pots and utensils and to march to the Public Works Department (PWD) office at Mapusa in order to make their voices heard. The water scarcity has not hit just the coastal village of Anjuna but several other places across the state.
On the flip side, mega housing projects are coming up when the state does not have the necessary water infrastructure to cater to the needs of the locals. There is the Bhutani project coming up at Sancoale, the Lodha project in Bicholim and the DLF project at Reis Magos to name just a few. These housing projects will put a massive strain on the water infrastructure forcing locals in other places across the state to come out on the streets protesting against the irregular water supply.
Having borewells for these projects will deplete the groundwater reserve. The amount of water these mega projects will guzzle is unfathomable. The ultimate sufferers will be the Goan households. The protest at Anjuna should serve as a wake-up call for the government to revisit the permission given to mega housing projects in the State.
