Daijiworld Media Network - Anjuna
Anjuna, Jul 25: A major rupture in the main drinking water pipeline supplying the coastal village of Anjuna has disrupted water supply to several parts of the village for the past four days, leaving hundreds of residents grappling with an acute water shortage.
The affected areas include Chapora, Vagator, Zor-vaddo, Deul-vaddo, Chivar and adjoining localities, where residents have been forced to rely on stored water and private water tankers to meet their daily needs.
The latest breakdown has worsened an already difficult situation. According to local residents, nearly half of the village has been facing inadequate water supply or extremely low water pressure for the past three to four months.
Officials from the Department of Drinking Water (DDW) said the rupture occurred in the main transmission pipeline passing through agricultural fields and low-lying marshy areas, making it difficult to locate the exact point of the leak.
"The leak was not visible on the surface because the pipeline runs through marshy and low-lying terrain. It took considerable time and effort to trace the fault," a senior DDW official said.
Sources in the Anjuna village panchayat said repair work was further delayed because a roadside stall had allegedly been erected directly above the underground pipeline, obstructing access to the damaged section.
"The encroachment made it difficult for our workers to excavate and inspect the pipeline. After sustained efforts, and with the help of local residents and panchayat members, the exact location of the rupture was finally identified," the official said.
The department has taken up repair work on a war footing and expects to restore the pipeline by Tuesday evening, after which normal water supply is likely to resume in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, panchayat members criticised the practice of setting up stalls and other temporary structures over underground utility corridors, saying such encroachments violate norms and hamper emergency repair work.
"People should not be allowed to erect shops or other structures over water pipelines and other public utilities. Such encroachments delay repairs, increase public inconvenience and add to the department's difficulties. The government must take strict action against those responsible," a panchayat member said.