SOCORRO VILLAGE THIRSTS- COURTESY VILLAGE PANCHAYAT OF SOCORRO Some five years ago an executive engineer attached to the P.W.D office at Porvorim had appealed to a group of agitating citizens to wait for 2 years until the new treatment plant at Asonora is ready. "You will swim in water", assured the engineer.
Its March 2005 and alternate day water supply has started. Until now everyone is to get approximatedly 2 to 3 hrs. of water supply although at odd hours. Again that depended on the power supply and functioning of the main line from Asonora. Any disturbance in either one would mean no water supply. The acute shortage of water and erratic supply has prompted some residents and building societies to build huge underground water reservoirs. Some have got direct connections from the main line coming from Asonora. Many times they just pump their water from their underground tanks and have no inkling if there is no water for 2 to 3 days. It is only when they notice that their reservoir is dry that they raise a hue and cry. It is only the poor man who cannot have the luxury of building his own tank that has to suffer. But although there is so much difficulty for regular water supply one will notice huge housing complexes being erected in socorro village panchayat area within a radius of just half kilometre. One is Prabhu residency with around 250 flats, then Devashri is constucting a project of around 150 flats, the old motel La Joy is demolished and around 50 flats, and just few days back Devashri has received permission for around 450 flats. So around 900 flats are in the process of being readied in a radius of just half kilometre when existing residents of the area are not getting regular water supply. How is the PWD going to supply water to these 900 flats which will have an influx of approximately 3000 people? Mr. Dayanand Narvekar, the MLA of Aldona who visited the village panchayat on 23rd March has advised the people to pass a resolution in the gram sabha disallowing construction permissions until the water situation is rectified in Socorro village. When he was asked to get a ban at the Town and Country planning and Collectorate level, he skirted the issue. And he had nothing to say when it was pointed out that the Directorate of panchayats is always there for the builders to over turn the village panchayats decision and permit construction. We cannot forget the enthusiasm of the village panchayat in hurriedly granting permissions as you may have read in Herald dtd 25 March 2005 on the 2nd page. The unconfirmed reports has it that the Sarpanch and members have got flats and shops in return for their favour. Recent talks doing the rounds is that the government officer who is at present administering the village has been gifted a maruti car. You see the beans are spilled out by others who envy their counterparts getting rich instantly. While the Chief Secretaries and secretaries give assuarances that everything will be OK they do not tell how they will do it when the infrastructure existing is the same. No one talks of freezing construction, conversions and the rest. One can see how the builders are controlling the government. And one can see how the builders get together to destabilise the government when their interests are jeopardised. See how they are gunning for Babush Monseratte who has made life difficult for these blood suckers of Goa. That he did it to benefit himself is another question. People should vote Babush to teach these builders a lesson. They do not care for Goa or Goans. All they want is some vacant space to sell and make their buck. If once the people had to fear the Portuguese soldiers raping the local women today it is the builders who are on the prowl to rape the land. The government and the panchayats are paid to fool the people and keep them in the hope that their water problems will be resolved. There are hard days ahead if people keep believing the government and the panchayats and sit tight doing nothing. Wake up Goa. soter d'souza socorro, goa
