PANAJI: The Minister for Public Works Department, Mr Churchill Alemao replying to a Zero Hour mention about the acute water shortage at Mapusa, including its low lying areas; entire Porvorim township as well as rest of the North Goa, in general said that efforts are being made to increase the water supply to the North Goa district, and adequate potable water would be made available to the people from the region by June 2010.
"The new 50 MLA capacity water treatment plant is being constructed at Assanora, which would be commissioned by June 2010, while the 5 MLD capacity Dabos water treatment plant is being augmented by another 10 MLD," the PWD Minister informed the House, stating that once these projects are completed, there would be no shortage of water in North Goa.
"In addition, we will also control water leakages, illegal booster plants and power interruptions," he pointed out. Mr Alemao further stated that presently there are 5 water treatment plants in North Goa, which supply water to four talukas namely Bardez, Pernem, Sattari and Bicholim.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar pointed out that it is not the unavailability of water but collapse in the management of water supply, which is the root cause of the problem. Informing the House that his own residence at Mapusa is also facing acute water shortage, the Leader of the Opposition said that there is a racket of water tanker owners, which is acting against the welfare of the general public.
The Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane mentioned that a survey had informed about at least 40 per cent of the water supplied by the PWD being lost through leakages.
BICHOLIM BRIDGE: The PWD Minister also assured the House that he would immediately give instructions as regards providing safety measures at the under construction bridge, coming up at Bicholim, after the local MLA, Mr Rajesh Patnekar informed the House in a Zero Hour mention that the 3rd pier of the particular bridge is half done and is exposing the metal bars, causing grave danger to the commuters on the old bridge.
HILL CUTTING: The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, responding to a Zero Hour mention tabled by the Cumbharjua MLA, Mr Pandurang Madkaikar as regards threat to some 25 families by way of landslides due to hill cutting at Goltim-Navelim, said that the matter pertains to the Konkan Railway Corporation and his government would follow up the matter. "The hill cutting was done during the Konkan railway project, and the Ojha Commission set up to decide on the Konkan railway route alignment had recommended construction of a retaining wall to protect the houses near the hill cutting area," the Chief Minister said, reiterating that the matter would be pursued earnestly.
