MAPUSA: Tension prevailed in Mapusa on Tuesday as residents of the town took to the street and resorted to a morcha, upset over acute water shortage since the last six days. The residents also blocked the main road near the town’s bus stand.
Following no water supply during the ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi festival, angry residents of Mapusa marched to the water supply division of public works department or PWD demanding that water supply be restored immediately.
The residents gheraoed water supply engineer and subsequently blocked the road in front of the PWD.
Since the last six days, people of Mapusa have been suffering on account of an acute water scarcity. With taps running dry in the midst of the festive season, people have been severely inconvenienced.
People from different walks of life including prominent citizens of the town and leaders of different political parties participated in the morcha. Councillor Tushar Tople was among the participants.
The residents questioned assistant engineer Subhash Belgaonkar about the water shortage and when the supply would be regularised. Belgaonkar informed about two water pumps, which have been burnt at Assonora due to which water supply has been affected and added that the supply is expected to be regularised by Saturday. However, the angry locals questioned why the department failed to take necessary measures before the festival to avoid such a situation.
Unhappy with the replies of the engineer, the locals demanded that a senior officer should look into their issue and refused to leave the office. A retired teacher even threatened to commit suicide if water supply was not restored. Subsequently, calls were made to a senior officer by the assistant engineer but it proved futile as there was no response. After waiting in the office for almost an hour, the agitators later decided to block the main road in front of the PWD office. The agitators sat down in the middle of the road shouting slogans thus blocking the vehicular movement.
Police had to be called in to control the situation. Police inspector Tushar Lotlikar and some local leaders convinced the assistant engineer to provide an assurance to the agitators to release water. Belgaonkar later said that water supply to one part of the town will be regularised by evening while another part of the town will be supplied water by Wednesday morning following which the residents cleared the road.
“We will stop water supply to other areas and provide water to Mapusa residents, as they have not received water for almost a week,” Belgaonkar said.
As promised, water was supplied to some parts of Mapusa in the evening.