NT Reporter
Ponda
A rainwater-harvesting
barrage has been completed at Jambulwada in Betki-Khandola, providing a new source of water to a hilltop settlement where residents have long faced scarcity and often trekked through the surrounding forest in search of water.
The ‘Paani Aadvaa, Paani Jirvaa’ barrage has been constructed to retain
water flowing naturally through the area and facilitate its percolation into the ground, thereby improving water availability for the settlement.
Inaugurating the project, Priol BJP MLA Govind Gaude said the initiative was the result of the community’s efforts. “For hundreds of years, these people have lived with the pain of water scarcity. Today, they have shown that when a community comes together with determination, even a difficult hilltop can be made to hold water,” he said.
Gawde said the villagers had taken up the project through collective efforts and thanked the panchayat for supporting the initiative with panchayat funds.
“The project should serve as an example of community-led water conservation in Goa,” he said.
Jambulwada has around 15-20 traditional houses with nearly 100 residents, with agriculture being the main livelihood. The water shortage, particularly during summer, had made everyday life difficult, with the limited stream unable to meet basic needs such as drinking, washing and gardening.
Villagers said the completion of the project marked a historic change for the hilltop community and offered much-needed water security. Ponda BDO Ashwin Desai, Sarpanch Shraddha Phadte, Deputy Sarpanch Ramita Gawde and others were present at the inauguration.
