Panaji pipeline restored; Cumbharjua likely to get water by weekend

PONDA: Following restoration of the Panaji pipeline on Wednesday and resumption of water supply to Tiswadi, the PWD has taken up the restoration of another line of 750 mm supplying water to Cumbharjua constituency.
The department has replaced the earlier 900 mm Ductile Iron pipeline with Mild Steel (MS) pipeline. However, as it has consumed much time to fabricate joints and bends, the department has given up its earlier plan to use MS line to 750 mm line.
Nivruti Parsekar, executive engineer of the PWD supervising the work said that they have decided to use the DI pipe only as it would fast to join.
With the release of water after a week, the four Tiswadi constituencies would experience of sigh of relief. PWD officials have confirmed that the water had been reached to Bambolim ground level reservoir at around 7 pm. The water was expected to reach to Altinho Panaji MBR by late night.
However, Cumbharjua constituency would suffer some more days as their pipeline restoration work may complete by early Friday and water is expected to resume on the same day.
The people in the areas have been suffering water crisis since last Thursday after collapse of a 12-meter long stretch of a road embankment at Curti Ponda, washing away two six-meter-long pipelines and loosening 10 others on late Wednesday night.
As the broken pipelines used to supply potable water to Panaji, Taleigao, St Andre, St Cruz and Cumbharjua constituencies in Tiswadi Taluka, the areas had been reeling under severe water crisis and the consumers had been solely depend on tankers either private or of PWD.
Considering the critical situation in Tiswadi, the water division of the PWD had taken up the work of restoring the eroded 900 mm pipeline on priority and the 750 mm line supplying water to Cumbharjua constituency including Old Goa, Tivrem-Orgao, Betki-Khandola, Kumbharjua and St Estevam village panchayat areas has been kept on hold.
On Wednesday evening, work for centering (Steel fabrication) for concrete bed and pedestals was started. PWD officials said the concreting work may complete by late Wednesday and the lying of pipeline will be done on Thursday.