BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: PWD Minister Churchill Alemao yesterday told Goa Assembly that with the additional augmentation of 205 MLD water treatment plants across the state, the total treatment plant capacity would be 599 MLD by the year 2012 as against the requirement of 593 MLD by 2025 as per the master plan.
He also mentioned that in order to have equitable distribution, the government would enforce volumetric tariff, with less tariff for optimum consumption and increased tariff for increased consumption and different tariff for waster consumption.
Churchill, who was replying during discussion on PWD, said that the government was seized with the issue of providing adequate water supply to the people of Bardez, Mormugao and Salcete talukas. He said that in order to augment the existing capacity of treatment plants, the government had taken up the augmentation of additional 10 MLD treatment plants at Dabose, Canacona and Mhaisal, additional 25 MLD at Ganjem, 50 MLD at Assonora and 100 MLD at Salalulim.
He said that it has been found that some of the consumers were wasting water and having excessive consumption as a result the tail enders and the people at higher elevation were facing water shortage as against the areas nearby
treatment plant and the low lying areas were drawing more and more water, thereby hinting that imposing volumetric tariff. He also stressed on awareness campaign for judicious use of water and effective zoning and water auditing to control the unaccounted flow of water.
He said that the alignment for four/six lane highway was at the final stage and added that about 188 houses would be affected. He also informed members that the government had requested the NHAI to consider the land width of 45 metres instead of 60 metres so as to reduce the number of houses that will be damaged. The proposed alignment will be finalised shortly, he said.
The PWD Minister further said that the Ministry of Surface Road Transport and Highways (MoSRTH) had informed the state that four/six laning of the NH-17 is being taken up under the national Highway Developemnt Programme-Phase III and as such the construction of new Zuari bridge will be taken up by the NHAI shortly.
He said that the present Zuari bridge had been strengthened by spending over Rs 8.03 crore and that periodical inspection was also being carried out regularly.
He said that the sewerage system would also be provided to Mapusa and North Goa coastal belt under externally funded JICA project.
He said that it had been observed that even after providing sewerage facilities, the public in general were reluctant to get their households connected to the public sewerage network because the are required to incur the initial cost and pay the sewerage charges. Due to this the operation of Margao and Vasco sewerage systems was under capacity and it had lead to number of operational problems including proper functioning of the sewerage treatment plants.
