NT Reporter Mapusa
Residents of Caisua ward in Anjuna-Caisua panchayat jurisdiction, who have been facing acute water shortages for several years, on Wednesday marched to
the PWD water supplies office yet again. They demanded that all old water pipelines be replaced with new ones to permanently address the crisis.
A resident recalled that the area faced a similar crisis 15 years ago. “At that time, we approached the then Water Resources Minister, Churchill Alemao, and the issue was resolved by changing the water pipeline within a few days. But after a few years, the same issues recurred,” a resident said.
Led by Siolim Congress block president Parvati Nagvekar, the residents expressed anger and despair over their prolonged suffering. “With tears in my eyes, I tell you — for almost one year, I have not received a regular water
supply. We have not got even a single drop of water. My house is on a slope, yet there is no water coming from the tap. We poor people cannot satisfy our hunger by buying water,” said an elderly woman from Caisua.
She added that only one water tanker is provided per day, which is not sufficient for all residents. Another affected woman demanded immediate replacement of the existing pipeline with new lines. “Even during the festival, we have to fight for water,” she said.
Nagvekar said the PWD had earlier assured residents that the issue would be resolved within ten days, but a month has passed without improvement. “We have now been assured by the junior engineer that the issue will be resolved in four days,” she said.
