NT Reporter| Pernem
For the first time in 30 years, residents of Keri village in Pernem will receive tap water connections, marking the end of decades of dependence on wells for their daily needs.
Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar laid the foundation stone for an underground water pipeline project costing
Rs 4 crore. The new pipeline network will cover the entire village and connect to the 30 MLD water treatment plant at Tuem.
Arolkar said the new distribution mains would ensure every household in Keri gets piped water once the Tuem plant becomes operational. “The Rs 4-crore project includes a complete network of pipelines that will connect to the 30 MLD water treatment plant via Corgao and Arambol,” he said.
For years, the villagers relied on borewells and open wells as their only source of water. The old borewell pipelines served only parts of the village and had corroded over time.
Deputy sarpanch Ajay Gad said the project was long overdue.
“This work has been pending for many years. The government says every household in Goa has a tap connection, but Keri had no water pipeline and not a single tap water connection. For several years, we submitted applications, and now after much waiting, the work has finally begun,” said Gad.
With work now underway, villagers said they are hopeful that their long wait for tap water will soon come to an end. Also present was Keri-Tiracol sarpanch Dharati Nagoji.
