Members of around 120 families in the Customs Colony at Sada-Vasco on Monday agitated outside the garbage treatment plant at Sada, after a JCB arriving to clear garbage from the garbage dumping site ended up damaging the pipeline and disrupting the water supply.
Residents said they have not received water supply since the last few days and complained that the water pipeline has been regularly damaged by the JCB.
"This is a regular issue occurring every 3-4 months and now, this pipeline was damaged a few days and ever since, we don't have a single drop of water,” said Customs officer Dharamveer Singh.
“Besides, the pipeline is next to the garbage dump and once the pipeline is broken, wastewater seeps into this water pipeline and we then get contaminated water supply. Last year, we got this area cleared and we wonder if the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) will always wait for us to get the garbage cleared from above our water pipeline," he said.
Another Customs officer Ajay Singh said that despite several requests, neither the MMC nor the PWD wanted to take steps to repair the damaged pipeline.
"Usually, the MMC takes as many as 7 days to repair the pipeline but by then a lot of wastewater has already seeped into the pipeline supplying us water.”
“To make matters worse, both the PWD and the MMC claim it is not their work. While the MMC says they will only give us the pipe, the PWD says they can only repair and the confusion between these departments has caused us a lot of inconvenience since the last few days," said Ajay Singh.
Another resident, Sanjay Naik, said they have been facing issues with the pipeline for many years.
"Garbage vehicles arrive and dump garbage on the road outside the garbage dumping site and this is one reason why the JCB has to arrive to clear the garbage lying outside and dump it inside the site.”
“When the JCB arrives and tries to lift the garbage, they damage our pipeline. The MMC has come here for an inspection and has assured to take up repair works, but this is only a temporary solution. We need a permanent solution to this issue," said Naik.
This news is reported by The Goan. To read more GOA news visit The Goan.
