SAMIR UMARYE BICHOLIM: PWD office looks like a battleground with people thronging to demand water tankers; PWD’s response is there is a fault at the Padoshe water treatment plant; Zatra and other festivities might get affected with no water
Several villages from Bicholim and Mayem constituencies have been left without water since last eight days with many people including the Bicholim MLA, Rajesh Patnekar approaching the PWD to solve the problem. But going “dry” during the festive week hasn’t quite amused the locals. And with the water crisis looming large, they are angrily bracing up for a dry start to the new year The locals along with along with MLA Patnekar have approached the PWD to solve this major problem. Every day the PWD office looks like a battleground with people marching to this government office either with a complaint or with a request to at least send a water tanker to their area. “We have a zatra and other festivities in our village and there is no water since last eight days and we don’t know what to do,” said Kirtimala Karapurkar from Kudapwada Karapur, who was one of the many to march to the PWD. “Most housewives keep the utensils unwashed with a hope that the PWD would supply them with water but for how many days should we keep our household work pending? The government officials and the ministers do not know what it is like to live without water for so many days,” Kirtimala said. “The PWD does not have its own tankers to supply water but it hires these tankers from private agencies during emergency. It is difficult to know what is happening and government should look into this and should supply us with water,” Komal Waingankar, a resident said adding that “there are still several months to go and we don’t know what would be the situation during summer.” “If we come to PWD office we are told that there is a fault at the Padoshe water treatment plant. Most of the time there is no official to listen to our grievances as the concerned official is reported to be either on leave or at some other site where he has been given additional posting. In such circumstances we do not know what to do. We just submit the memorandum and go home with an assurance that water supply will resume by evening,” Komal added. According to the PWD officials, the problem mostly lies with the Padoshe water treatment plant and at times it takes around two days to repair the same. “We have to bear the brunt of the people when the real problem lies with the water treatment plant,” a PWD official informed on the condition of anonymity. “It is surprising that the officials and the departments are passing the buck on each other when there is no water for the general public. If the bill is not paid, the PWD officials immediately take action but when it comes to giving proper services they do not even meet us.” said an angry Deelip Dhargalkar from Lamgao
