WATER LEAKAGE AND WASTAGE STEPHEN DIAS DONA PAULA 9.3.2020 9422443110
On one side Goans are worried about why our CM Pramod Sawant playing hide and seek and did not act in time to pursue the water shortage issue in this state and how he is losing his battle with his counterparts the BJP central leaders, who decided to help Karnataka on the Mhadei river issue?Even the SC supported their stand and it looks like more trouble ahead for Goa. The other side of the coin is that even as Goa is reeling with water shortages, water is being wasted through leaks in pipelines due to various reasons such as : 1. Illegal constructions of high rise buildings which do not follow rules or get fresh approvals and don't have official connections. They use and waste the water. 2. Overhead tank lids are either missing or the stop valve is not working in most of the buildings especially in colonies. 3. Heavy duty tanker trucks, food supply trucks in the Panjim market, transport carrier of new vehicles, petrol/ diesel trucks and Alcon concrete container supply vehicles for high rise construction in Panjim and more than 15 floors in Miramar and St.Inez near S T Plant including Caranzalem and Dona Paula areas. In fact, I detected a rusty pipeline at Madhuban complex. ( see the photo). An incident is worth mentioning here for public knowledge. A water pipe was found leaking outside my house on the road at Bay View colony Dona Paula for nearly 15 days and nobody attended from Water Dept of PWD. After another complaint, this fault was repaired. Discussing with the workmen at the site it appears the cause of this pipe damage was due to Alcon concrete supplier for a 8th floors building and now as per the recent reliable news another additional two floors are targeted having no approval board at the site when hardly 5 metres narrow road is existing. These heavy vehicles use the extreme end of road away from asphalt thus giving way for the underground pipes getting damaged being muddy area. After it was repaired again the same pipeline got damaged and another leakage at very short distance away. No PWD staff have attended almost nearly a week. I immediately lodged a stronger written complaint to Executive Engineer as well Asst Engineer of Water dept PWD at St. Inez and the workers attended immediately for repairs but could not complete as two pipes were closely and wrongly laid by earlier staff. So far upto now water is still leaking heavily and no repair work is done. Because of supply of water needed to our colony and for the high rise construction, the workmen did not close the valve and left water leaking. On Friday the 5th March, the PWD opened the valve thrice for the day even at night at 10.30 hrs. Now I noticed overflowing the overhead tank heavily of my neighbourhood whenever water is released. When there is a shortage of water why are the PWD authorities not doing their best to save water by proceeding with repairs ASAP? Also I suggest that PWD must fine people whose overhead tanks lids are faulty or missing, mostly in colonies. We all have to get together and take a tougher stand against wastage of water otherwise as in South Africa they'll have to stop flushing toilets and have restricted bathing! Stephen Dias Dona Paula 9th March 2020 Sent from my Samsung device