The Times of India          15.10.2013

24x7 water supply for entire state by 2014-end

PANAJI: With an emphasis on reducing water wastage and increasing water production in the state, the PWD is optimistic of providing 24X7 water supply to the entire state by the end of 2014.

The department also plans to spend around Rs 100crore to replace the existing pipeline. PWD minister Ramkrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar and officials on Saturday held a meeting at the Secretariat in Porvorim on how to reduce non-revenue water. Speaking to mediapersons, Dhavalikar said that the government is trying to provide 100litres per person in rural areas and 150litres per person in urban areas within the next two years.

The PWD is spending 800 crore under the JICA project to establish a water treatment plant at Selaulim in Sanguem with a capacity of 100 million litres per day (MLD). The project is likely to be completed by the end of 2014. PWD is also laying a separate 1,400mm pipeline from Sanguem to Vasco to supply water from the new plant at Sanguem. "After completion of the Selaulim project and new pipeline, the entire south Goa will get 24X7 water supply," he said. The PWD will also build a 10MLD plant at Moisal in Panchwadi and a 25MLD plant at Ganjem, Usgao, which would be commissioned in 2016.

At present, Goa manufactures around 550MLD of water and as of today, non-revenue water is above 35% and below 42%. As per norms, it should be below 20%. "If we try to bring it down to 20%, then with the additional water, it would be around 450MLD. Under the norm of 100litres per person in rural areas and 150litres in urban areas, we can provide 24X7 water supply to the entire state," Dhavalikar said. He said that in the next six months, PWD will focus on non-revenue reduction. For this, PWD will change the water pipeline, install a flow meter, replace the water meter and reduce apparent losses and real losses.