Water crisis for past month; filling a pot at sole spring takes 15 minutes, say villagers
Roque Dias
Margao : Residents of the hilly areas of Tontem-Loutolim, located around 10 to 12 kilometres from Margao, have been facing a severe drinking water crisis for the
past month, with four houses in the remote terrain bearing the brunt as authorities struggle to provide a solution.
“We have approached the local panchayat member and the sarpanch of Loutolim panchayat, but they have not been able to resolve the issue so far,” said Mohini Naik, one of the affected residents.
Residents had also approached the Public Works Department (Water section), now known as the Department of Drinking Water, but officials cited low pressure in the hilly terrain.
“The PWD officials promised to supply water tankers, but their promise remains unfulfilled,” said Naik
With no reliable supply, residents have been forced to depend on a natural spring located a 15-minute walk away.
“It takes us 15 minutes to fill a single pot of water at the spring. This is because the pressure of water is limited here. Our neighbours are also queuing up, making it a time-consuming and arduous task. Worse still, water is not available all the time,” another resident said.
They also face risks from wild animals and monkeys at the site. “It’s risky for us to drink this water, as we don’t know what kind of diseases it might harbour,” Naik said.
Local MLA Aleixo Sequeira had provided water tanks as a temporary measure, but these remain empty.
“If the PWD, panchayat, or the legislator could arrange drinking water
for us, we would be grateful, because without water we cannot survive,” residents said.
Residents said the crisis, usually seen in May, has started early this year. “Earlier we used to get water for about half an hour to one hour with very low pressure, but even that has now stopped,” they said.
Local panchayat member Joana Fernandes stated that she has raised the issue with the sarpanch and PWD engineer, but challenges persist.
“We never thought we would have to fight for something as basic as water. But here we are, praying for a miracle to quench our thirst and restore our dignity,” Naik said.
Villagers from other wards of Loutolim also face summer water shortages.
