Water supply in Canacona to get boost with 10 MLD treatment plant

by ALBERT FERNANDES
Posted on 2008-10-22
POINGUINNIM- The work on 10 MLD water treatment plant at Canacona is being carried out at the estimated cost of Rs 4.5 crore.
The work, which was carried out at snail’s pace for some time due to some technical reasons, has now picked momentum and is going on in full swing.
Mr Assis Caeiro, assistant engineer, water section, Canacona informed that the plant will be commissioned by the end of February 2009.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, Mr Caeiro told that another 800 cubic metre water storage tank, constructed at Vaizwada, will be commissioned shortly.  
However, the Chapoli and Nuem storage tanks, each of 100 cubic metre capacity, are awaiting to be commissioned for public use as they need some up-gradation of transformers.  
All the three augmentations, are located in Shristhal village panchayat. There is already a 5 MLD water treatment plant in operation with 2 ground level reservoirs of 800 cubic metre capacity and one overhead reservoir providing treated water to the people of Canacona.  
As of now, the water distribution pipeline has been laid upto Dapot, which receives treated water. Another 5 kilometres of pipeline is yet to be laid upto Polem, Mr Caeiro informed.
The people of Canacona is being supplied with treated water through water storage tanks of 100 cubic metres capacity at Gotcamolem, Sadolxem, Catebaga, Mahalwada, and Chiplem. However, Mashem has 300 cubic metre capacity tank while the one at Talpona is yet to be made operational, he said.
The raw water at the treatment plant is pumped from the Chapoli dam.  Everyday, 5 MLD of raw water is pumped, whereas the actual requirement is around 9 MLD, Mr Caeiro informed and added water is also pumped from the Ardhofond dam, to augment the supply.
When it was brought to the notice of Mr Caeiro that sometimes the people complain of muddy water, he denied it saying that the staff at the water treatment plant is qualified and so it is
not possible.
“The filtration process is carried out by adding lime and alum. In this process, flocculation takes place which minimises the turbidity. And 90 per cent of the turbidity can be got rid of,” he explained and added that another 10 per cent of the turbidity is reduced when chlorine is added to destroy the germs and bacteria.
As of now, the distribution pipeline has been laid upto Dapot but to supply regular water to Loliem and Agonda, the 10 MLD water treatment plant is necessary.  After the 10 MLD water treatment plant is commissioned, Canacona people will get 24 hour water supply, the engineer added.
The work on 10 MLD water purification project which started in January 2007 would have been completed by now.  
The quantity of water that is generated at the existing treatment plant is supplied to the areas within the municipality limits and some parts of rural areas.
Under the Rural Water Supply Scheme, the Water Resource Department has 43 distribution points in the form of bore wells interspersed in different villages of the taluka, Mr Caeiro informed and added that about 40 per cent of Canacona population get the benefit of the scheme.
Moreover, he told that a water supply scheme estimated at Rs 3.5 crore is proposed for Gaondongrem and is sent for
approval.
There are in all 5000 domestic water connections in Canacona out of which 700 belongs to low income group (LIG).