AUGMENTATION OF CITY'S POTABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR 24 HOURS UNDER THREAT

To,

The Editor

Navhind Times

Panjim

 

Kindly publish this letter in your Letters to the Editor column. Thanks

 

Stephen Dias

D.Paula

 

Date: 7.1.2012

 

    AUGMENTATION OF PANJIM POTABLE WATER SUPPLY UNDER JNNURM    by Stephen Dias, D.Paula

 

Ref: Navhind Times news;

i)                   74 crores CCP projects get JNNURM approval  NT dt. 6.1.2012 and

ii)                 'Increase in water supply to Panaji from OPA opposed" NT dt. 7.1.2012

 

   PANJIM CITY ROADS LIKELY FURTHER MESSED UP BY CCP

 

This ambitious project proposal cleared  by JNNURM, for which CCP is likely to take up for upgradation or replacement of water pipelines, for augmentation of city's potable water supply for 24 hours is already facing road blocks from Marcaim and Transport Minister Mr. Ramakrishna Dhawalikar, who has warned CCP that the residents from Ponda shall oppose this project from OPA reservoir, and instead he has suggested an alternate source  from Selaulim or Tillari project through Japan International cooperation agency (JAICA).

Panjimites also feel that the city roads are constantly been duck up and thus disturbing the residents of Panjim on account of  laying water pipelines, electrical underground cablings, telephone cabling and sewage pipelines etc. There is no coordination at all with these agencies, neither have they had a proper drawing plan to carry out such jobs, and as such the Panjim city roads are in devastated conditions and in Mess if this argumentation of city's potable water for 24 hours under JUNNURM comes into existence. The city transport is also adversely affected, and  the dust pollution is much above their limits.  

The City is surely going to be messed up once again, since all the agencies like PWD, Electricity Dept, and Telephone Dept who have no coordination, unity and understanding to carry out their jobs.

The work plan approved by CCP should be made public, before it is taken up this gigantic project under JNNURM.

What about the pipes, which are already in existence and installed by several agencies around Panjim city, whether it will be disturbed?  In certain areas in Panjim, already new pipes as well as cables are been laid. What is the fate of these materials?   If this project is materialized, who is responsible for this wastage of materials and infrastructure, which is at the cost of tax payer's money? Who will be then responsible for this further MESS?  I am sure another SCAM might resurface, if this project comes into reality.

None of these agencies have a concrete PLAN, and no drawings plans are available in their files, and nobody knows the exact location of all the work already completed.  

Every alternate day, we see the workers digging continuously again and again in the same area, without knowing what exactly kind of the pipe or cable exists over there.

The residents of Panjim are constantly under threat for not getting the proper water supply, electricity and telephone communication. Especially these BSNL telephones are 24 hours under repairs by the various telephone exchanges, which the residents are been disturbed all the time by their linesmen, when they come to attend the fault. The voice clarity is bad due to line leakage. These line men are also not equipped with proper gadgets; neither have they had the knowledge of fault finding procedures, since they are low qualified for the repairs jobs. Moreover their services are transferable, which makes much more difficult to understand the location of cabling repairs and its continuity. Due to that, they are constantly digging the roads for fault finding. 

Now the CCP is gearing up, to take up this gigantic project under JNNURM. which is going to make things still worse and surely this project will never be successful.  

The government should appoint a high level technical committee other than from CCP engineers, to study the pros and corns of this project and if required a foreign agency may also be consulted in this regard.

 

Stephen Dias, D.Paula