The government must have short- and long-term plans to tackle any water crisis
With deficit rainfall so far, Goa is bracing for a grim situation regarding drinking water. Dam levels have shrunk. Water levels in reservoirs usually begin dropping from April but are generally sufficient to meet the state’s needs until the end of June. This time, however, the summer was quite severe, and consequently the evaporation level was high. Worse still, Goa hardly received pre-monsoon showers, which normally bring relief as they help recharge groundwater.
Expressing concern over the rapidly declining water levels in Goa’s reservoirs, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant directed the Water Resources Department (WRD) to issue a circular making water conservation measures compulsory for borewell owners to help recharge water sources and avert a deeper water crisis next year. He said that to recharge reservoirs, it is important that water conservation measures are taken.
The print media has been highlighting the issue, apprehending that, given the IMD forecast of a poor monsoon, the drinking water situation could be bad. But the government does not appear to have taken adequate measures. Sometimes, the approach is simply: Goa will receive rain in June, perhaps late by a week or so, and the crisis will be resolved. Soon “high-level meetings” will be held, widely publicised to show what the authorities are doing to handle the situation.
Goa lacks a proactive approach to ensure that people do not suffer. The government must state what measures have been taken since March to conserve water, knowing that the monsoon would be less than normal. Knee-jerk reactions are only piecemeal. Long-term measures seem to be lacking. We are already facing a monsoon deficit this June. It is imperative that the WRD takes immediate measures to navigate the next 15 days or so if Goa does not get enough rain.
In times of severe shortage, departments have historically pumped raw water from alternative sources, such as abandoned mining pits, into river basins or treatment plants, or from rivers into dams. On Monday, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar said that in view of concerns over water levels in the Anjunem dam, water will be drawn from the Pissurlem mining pits to the Padoshe water treatment plant. He, as well as Minister for Drinking Water Subhash Phal Dessai, said that the state has sufficient water for “at least a month”. WRD should also look at utilising water from alternative sources such as lakes and ponds for localised needs.
Environmentalists have long warned about water shortages linked to environmental destruction. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and hill-cutting over the years was bound to impact the monsoon. The “natural sponges” such as hills and wetlands have been destroyed. Goa’s water challenges are increasingly linked to planning failures and environmental degradation.
No doubt, the government has been taking measures – upgrading water treatment plants, constructing water tanks, replacing pipelines, etc. However, the augmentation falls far short of requirements, as villages are urbanising rapidly due to government policies.
To reduce the impact, the government must encourage and incentivise rainwater harvesting at the household, community and industrial levels. The government needs both short- and long-term plans. In addition, a contingency plan should be in place. The path forward requires integrating technological upgrades with a profound respect for the ecological systems that naturally sustain the state’s water cycle.
