Overexploitation of ground water - Part 1 By Joaquim Fernandes (Mapusa correspondent, The Navhind Times) Feedback to JF at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MAPUSA, Mar 5: Ever since the uncontrolled selling of water from open wells in Saligao began, the water levels in the traditional wells in Saligao have started falling to dangerously low levels. In the best of times, parts of Saligao, especially at higher altitudes, never have enough water in their PWD pipelines. As if to make matters worse, the wells are now going dry. Residents claim that the water in their wells used to fall marginally only in the hottest month of May, now the water starts falling in February itself. This problem is not peculiar to Saligao. It is learnt that the uncontrolled pumping of ground water is causing traditional wells to go dry in villages like Pomburpa, Assagao, Verem, Calangute and other villages. In the absence of any governmental regulation, it is a win-win situation for the water-merchants. While notching up huge profits, they require no license to sell the water, nor do they pay any taxes. Members of the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell (SCCC), who liase with all civic authorities in an attempt to keep Saligao problem-free, attribute it to the uncontrolled pumping out of water from wells for selling commercially to hotels, builders and to industries. According to SCCC members, there are 6 open wells in Saligao, which are being overexploited for commercial selling of water. They estimate that an average of 50,000 litres of water is being pumped out of the wells every day. Reportedly the pumps operate from 5 in the morning till 8 in the evening. It is alleged that these tankers supply the water to both hotels and builders in the area and also to industries on the Pilerne Industrial estate. The SCCC members, an organised and a vigilant lot, also allege that some industries from the industrial estate have fixed submersible pumps in the overhead tank on the hill and are filching water meant for Saligao. SCCC members say that when they sought to point this out, authorities have stonewalled their queries. This is understandable. After all, the industries on the hill have to run. So also the hotels near the beaches. Mr Antonio D'souza from The Goa Environment Federation, and a resident of Calangute has compiled statistics pertaining to Calangute. Based on the last census records he says that there are 2600 residential houses in Calangute. From Panchayat records, he has learnt that there are about 60 rent back complexes having minimum 120 apartments each with an average occupancy of 4 persons. There are 2 Star-ed hotels having minimum 150 rooms with an average occupancy of 2 persons, and 10 hotels plus lodging accommodations. Besides the 3 schools and the rash of restaurants, Mr D'souza says that there are 55 swimming pools in Calangute alone. The per capita requirement of water supply for various occupancies is determined in the Official Gazette of June 23, 1997, supposedly the last gazette in this regard. The gazette puts the consumption in residential houses at 135 litres per head per day and for Special residential at 180 litres per head per day. The consumption for restaurants and other facilities are also given. Based on these figures, it has been worked out that the difference between supply and demand is huge. And it is being met with water drawn from open or tube wells around the area. Sources in the Water Resources Department said that since many of these open wells were constructed for agricultural purpose and financed by the Rural Development Authority (RDA), action can be taken by the RDA or by the Collector against selling of water on a commercial basis on complaints from citizens. The Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department, Mr S D Sayanak, informed that the Governor has already given his assent to the Goa Groundwater Regulation Bill and that the process of finalising the rules is in the final stage. These will be put up before the next Legislative assembly for its approval. Department officials are confident that the Act is adequate in combating the menace of over-exploitation of ground water in Goa. Overexploitation of ground water - Part 2 The premature drying up of traditional wells in the villages is just a superficial consequence of the overexploitation of ground water by unscrupulous elements. According to noted Goan environmentalist, Dr Nandakumar Kamat, if the sweet groundwater resources in a coastal sandy aquifer are overexploited and lose their recharging capacity then the salt water from the sea or estuarine zone would march to fill up the hydrospace by percolation or underflow. This would render the aquifer, which is a creation of nature over millions of years, irreversibly saline and permanently unusable! Which means that the village wells would no longer provide fresh drinking water, but salt water. Dr Nandakumar Kamat does not buy the argument that since Goa receives the second highest rainfall in the country, the water table is automatically replenished during the monsoons. ''The annual rainfall is not constant,'' he says. ''All the rainwater is not available for recharging and replenishing the groundwater. The evaporation losses remove 60 percent of rainwater from surface every year. The groundwater resources can get recharged and replenished only if there is no water stress. If the exploitation is beyond the recharging capacity then even during a good monsoon the groundwater aquifer would not be recharged,'' he states. Dr Kamat maintains that only under the normal and sustainable utilisation level the rainfall can recharge the groundwater aquifer. Besides, there are complex geological, percolation and ecological factors. A good vegetation cover is essential. But the most important factor is that with the present level of commercial exploitation in Bardez taluka, there would be total destruction and desertification of the fragile coastal sandy aquifers in these areas within 3 to 5 years. The signs of such destruction are already visible in Candolim, Calangute and Baga. The village wells have become saline and polluted, he says. Another related aspect is the issue of the large number of soakpits in the coastal belt. According to Dr Kamat, the effluents from the large number of underground soak pits attached to flush-toilets would diffuse into the dry aquifer's porous space and permanently pollute it. Dr Kamat stresses that every time a western style toilet is flushed, it disgorges 12 litres of water. So a family of five people generates at least 100 litres of toilet effluents everyday. Most of the soakpits of hotels and houses in Candolim to Baga belt are ill maintained. These are already polluting the local groundwater resources. He warns that commercial overexploitation of groundwater especially in fragile and ecologically delicate, porous, sandy aquifer areas such as in Bardez would create an environmental and public health disaster. Since the supply of water to builders, industries and hotels cannot be avoided, is there no alternative source? The Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department, Mr S D Sayanak, informed that the government had launched a scheme last year whereby contractors could purchase water at the rate of Rs 5 per cubic metre from a government source at Sanquelim and supply it. He said that only 1 contractor based near Sanquelim is using this facility. Obviously, fetching water from Sanquelim is a time-and-money-consuming task for Bardez contractors. It is learnt that the government also gave builders and hoteliers the option to draw water from Selaulim project's supply points at a reasonable fee. But contractors obviously see more profit in exploiting the groundwater resources in their immediate neighbourhood. The Goa Ground Water Regulation Bill, which became an Act on January 18, 2002, is fully consistent with the Central national guidelines for conservation of precious groundwater resources. Opposition to the Bill was stiff because the water trade, as yet untaxed, is estimated to generate an income of Rs. 20-25 crores for the suppliers, according to Dr Kamat. The Act makes Goa only the fifth state in India to have legislative measures for groundwater conservation and there is general consensus that it is adequate for protecting our groundwater resources. There is also a consensus that hoteliers, builders, NGOs, village Panchayats and citizens should join hands with the Water resources department to effectively implement the provisions of the Act. Ends. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
