Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said state govt has now made it mandatory for those who dig borewells to undertake water conservation measures, with the help of engineers of the water resources department. He said that if ground water recharge measures are not undertaken, availability of water may become an issue in parts of the state in the future.“We are stressing on water conservation now. We have made water conservation measures mandatory for those who are using borewells. If you have dug a borewell and have not registered it then you should do it immediately or else you will have to pay a big fine. It is important that we carry out ground water recharge because if we do not address this we will have difficulty in receiving water in the future,” said Sawant.He was speaking at the inauguration of the Rs 55 crore pump house at Amthane, which is set to enhance water supply in Assonora, Porvorim, Mapusa, Pilerne, and Assagao.The chief minister also said that he does not understand why construction of check dams is being opposed in many villages in the state, when the projects are being taken up to address Goa’s water issues. Sawant said that the new pump house to enhance water supply to Bardez was possible because locals allowed construction of the new barrage on the Chapora river in Sal village in Bicholim.“We have to pump water into the Amthane reservoir from Feb to May from the check dam near Sal village. Earlier we were fully dependent on the Tillari irrigation dam. A breach in a Tillari canal meant a water supply shortage of up to 15 days in Bardez. To make ourself self-sufficient, we have built a huge check dam on Sal river. Same way, on Ganjem river at Usgao,” said Sawant.Sawant said state govt is investing in enhancing water resources and the network of pipelines to meet water requirements in the state in the next 25 to 30 years.“Consumers are paying Rs 3 to 4 per cubic litre. But to get the water from the dam to pump and to your house, govt is paying Rs 25 to Rs 30. Yet we are not charging more than Rs 4 to the consumers,” said Sawant. He urged citizens too to stop using treated water to wash cars and water their plants.
