Admitting that Goa is currently facing shortage of 76 MLD of drinking water resulting into scarcity, the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant assured to resolve 60 per cent of water woes by March 31, this year.
The Chief Minister today chaired a crucial meeting to work out a solution after several areas in the State reported acute water shortage. During the meeting, the Chief Minister took review of water issues across all 40 assembly constituencies.
The meeting was attended by Port Minister Michael Lobo and officers from the Public Works Department.
The Chief Minister said that the total water requirement of the state for drinking purposes is 589 MLD of which we are supplying 513 MLD leaving a shortage of 76.37 MLD water.
“But this does not mean the State is short of water availability. We have excess water in our reservoir. However, due to lack of planning and management, the State is facing scarcity,” he said.
Sawant said that Bardez taluka faces the maximum water shortage, followed by Sattari and Bicholim.
Sawant said that the PWD Engineers have been asked to prepare micro-plan to cater to this shortage. “By March 31, almost 50-60 per cent of water shortage issues would be resolved,” he said.
The Chief Minister informed that to cater the needs to Bardez taluka, 5 MLD water treatment plant at Porvorim would be commissioned by March 31, along with 2 MLD facility at Siolim under Rural water system. A water purification plant would be put in at Saligao to provide 2 MLD water.
The chief minister said that the plan is also afoot to pump out water from abandoned mining pits to meet the requirement of Sattari taluka, which is facing shortage of around 7MLD. Nearly 10 MLD water would be pumped out by April.
