38% water lost from supply chain due to old pipelines, says Cabral

Panaji: PWD minister Nilesh Cabral on Friday said that Goa is facing the issue of 38% non-revenue water or loss of water from the supply chain due to old pipelines. Cabral on Friday told Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat that changes are needed specifically for Goa in land acquisition procedures as the existing norms have affected the sewerage treatment network projects in the state.
“We are small children of a big country. Today, we have achieved 100% water supply to all households, but it is over a period of time. We have 38% non-revenue water because of age-old pipelines, 80% of them are old. We will work in all urban and rural areas and put up a proposal,” the PWD minister said.
He said after achieving 100% water supply to all households, Goa has set 24X7 water supply as its next target and the state needs assistance to achieve it.
“Only the sewerage network is lacking in the state. In Goa, land has been inherited through a different system and land acquisition policy has made it very difficult to acquire land. As a state, though we want to achieve a lot of other dreams, it has become difficult. ‘Life can be lost but land cannot be lost’ is everyone’s say today. We will have to relook at the land acquisition norms as it has become difficult to acquire land and take NOC for projects,” Cabral said.
With Goa being declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) state, it is now expected to achieve ODF plus state, which includes ensuring management, recycling and reuse of waste water among other things. Cabral said that Goa is faced with land issues in achieving this.
The PWD minister said that soon new water treatment plants and works of augmentation of existing plants will be completed and 165MLD of more treated water will be added to Goa’s water treatment capacity.
“With the help of the Prime Minister we were able to set up labs to test water. Soon with his help and with projects we have taken up, we will soon be able to supply water 24x7 as 165 MLD capacity works will be commissioned soon,” he said.
Goa is presently facing a shortage of 85MLD of treated water as against its demand.