The shutdown of the interstate Tillari irrigation project for canal repairs could delay the commissioning of the under-construction Pilerne water treatment plant, putting planned improvements in water supply for Calangute and Saligao at risk.
The 15 million litres per day (MLD) Public Works Department plant at Pilerne is designed to receive raw water from the Tillari project. Its completion had been expected within the next two months, but the interruption in Tillari water supply has raised questions over whether that timeline can be maintained.
The plant is intended to serve areas that currently depend on the Assonora water treatment plant and lie towards the tail end of its distribution network. Residents in parts of Calangute and Saligao have continued to report irregular and limited supply.
“Many areas in Calangute receive water for barely two hours on alternate days. That’s very difficult for many locals,” Franzilia Rodrigues, a zilla panchayat member, said, according to the Times of India report.
The Pilerne project has already faced delays. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo had earlier said that work on the plant would begin by November-December. The project was discussed during the October 7 inauguration of a new water pumping station at Calangute, which was attended by Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar, Lobo and Saligao MLA Kedar Naik.
The 30MLD pumping station at Calangute has since been commissioned. The station at Boa Viagem is expected to pump raw water to the Pilerne treatment plant once the linked supply system is operational.
Naik said water remained a major issue in the Calangute and Saligao constituencies and expressed hope that the 15MLD filtration plant would also be commissioned soon. Lobo said the Pilerne plant had reached its final stages of completion and would supply several settlements after commissioning.
The planned service area includes Candolim, Pilerne, Betim, Verem, Nerul and Calangute. These locations are currently identified by local representatives as areas that do not receive water regularly.
The immediate constraint is the Tillari shutdown, which began for canal repairs and has halted the raw-water source planned for the Pilerne facility. The report does not specify the revised commissioning date for the plant or the expected duration of the canal repair shutdown.
The next operational milestone is the completion and commissioning of the Pilerne WTP, followed by the movement of treated water to the listed areas through the associated pumping and distribution system.
