Margao: Under the newly formed Department of Drinking Water, plans are being put in place to replace old water lines at an estimated cost of around Rs 2,000 crore, as well as to provide 12 hours of water supply to the entire state within a year. The current dependency on water tankers is also expected to be eliminated within the same period.
Minister for Drinking Water Subhash Phal Dessai spoke about the plans on the sidelines of an event
in Margao.
“We have placed another proposal to change the 40 to 60 years old pipelines. We need around Rs. 2,000 crore to change all the lines and have asked for an equity type system with contributions. If we can take this ahead we will be able to give water to all the villages, urban and commercial areas,” he said.
Phal Dessai was speaking about a recent meeting held under the Jal Jeevan Mission with Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil, where the proposals were placed. The conference brought together Indian states and discussions were held on improving rural infrastructure and the sustainability of drinking water.
Another plan, he said, is to increase the duration of water supply.
“At the moment, around 26 per cent of our population gets 24 hours water supply everyday. In six months, we will increase this to 40 per cent and in one year we should be able to supply water to the entire population for more than 12 hours per day. This is our target. The ministry has given us positive signals and we have placed these proposals before the central government to treat Goa as a model state with the infrastructure. And it can be picked up by other states,” he said.
Smart meters were also proposed, with digital metering allowing water supply to be started or stopped instantly and in real time. This, the minister said, would help consumers check and control water usage in case of wastage.
On tanker dependency, he said, “In the past we used to have hundreds of water tankers. Today it has been reduced to around 24 tankers and tankers are used only if we have failed somewhere. It is as good as tanker free. It is only in the high altitude areas where we keep emergency tankers. We have eliminated tanker tenders. People feel there is a tanker mafia, there is
no such thing. We are trying our best to provide water to people and in one year we will be completely tanker free.”
“While comparing the existing infrastructure in the country at the meeting, Goa was the first state which has surpassed all the targets, which is a good thing for our state,” he said.
‘Potable water from mining pits under pilot project in pipeline’
Margao : As part of a pilot project, the government plans to tap water from mining pits and make it potable, Minister for Drinking Water Subhash Phal Dessai said on Thursday. Addressing students of Mahila and Nutan English High School, Comba, Margao, he said future conflicts would be over water and stressed the need to explore alternative sources.
Phal Dessai said initiatives such as desalination were already being pursued, where seawater is converted into drinking water.
The minister was speaking at the launch of a clean drinking water facility at the school. Referring to abandoned mining pits filled with water, he said, “We had never considered using this resource earlier. With new technology now available, efforts are underway to convert such water into potable water as part of a pilot project.”
He said that if the project succeeded, around 5,000 people in his village could receive clean drinking water.
Phal Dessai said that with a resident population of about 15 lakh and a floating population of nearly one crore, there was an urgent need to create awareness on water conservation.
He said people often realise the importance of water only when it becomes scarce and added that water should not be wasted. The minister also said nearly 25 per cent of water supplied to homes, particularly flats in housing complexes, was lost due to leakages and wastage.
The government supplies water to consumers at highly subsidised prices, yet large quantities continue to be wasted, he said, adding that water must therefore be used carefully and responsibly.
The clean drinking water facility at the school was installed by the Parent Teacher Association in collaboration with Nestle India Ltd.
Sanjay Bhandhari, Head – Corporate Affairs (West), Nestle India Ltd, said the company had provided similar facilities to 115 schools under its CSR initiatives, benefiting around 80,000 students.
