Daijiworld Media Network - Mapusa

Mapusa, Aug 19: Even as Goa is drenched in heavy monsoon showers, villagers in Vaddy (Siolim) and Deulwada (Anjuna) are battling a harsh contradiction — no access to clean drinking water, despite a PWD pipeline running right through their homes.

Residents say the taps have run dry for weeks, with only occasional bursts of supply, forcing families to rely on costly private tankers and shared borewells just to get through the day.

“At the last gram sabha, we raised the issue. The next day, we got full pressure water — but only for two days. It’s been dry ever since,” said Udesh Pangam, a resident of Vaddy, Siolim.

In Deulwada, 20–25 households are reportedly affected by erratic supply, which worsens during festivals or community events.

“Even during festivals, we had to manage without water. Why is it being diverted to coastal hoteliers?” questioned Sukanthi Korgaonkar from Deulwada.

Daily Struggle for a Basic Right

Residents say they’ve been pooling money daily to order private tankers, a cost that’s becoming unsustainable for many. Borewells are used for washing and cleaning, but drinking water still has to be purchased.

“This is now a daily struggle. We cannot afford to keep buying water like this,” said a frustrated resident from Anjuna.

Officials Aware, But Solutions Lagging

Social worker Parvati Nagvenkar, who has been assisting affected residents, said that a formal meeting with the PWD engineer is being planned to push for immediate action.

When contacted, Osley Paes, Assistant Engineer at PWD (Water), acknowledged the issue in Deulwada, stating that some households were not yet connected to the current overhead tank.

“A new overhead tank is expected to be commissioned soon, and those houses will be connected,” he assured.

As for Vaddy, Paes claimed that the issue had been resolved two months ago — a statement locals dispute, insisting the taps are still dry.

Rain All Around, But Not a Drop to Drink

Ironically, as Goa’s rivers overflow and gutters run wild with monsoon water, dozens of households in Siolim and Anjuna are left paying for every drop they consume.

Until infrastructure catches up with promises, these families will continue to face the paradox of water scarcity amidst a flood-prone monsoon — a glaring example of how resource mismanagement can turn abundance into deprivation.