PORVORIM: The over two year wait for piped water of the residents of Kadamba plateau will come to an end by march 2019, said minister for PWD and transport Ramkrishna Dhavalikar on Thursday.
He however, put a rider to his assurance by saying that water supply to Ribandar, Kadamba plateau and Panaji would depend on the completion of the 27 MLD water treatment plant at Opa.
Since early 2017, residents of Kadamba Plateau have been petitioning the government for piped water.
The residents currently depend on a steady stream of water tankers and bore wells for their water needs.
“Water supply to the residents of Kadamba Plateau will be made available only after the completion and commissioning of 27 MLD Water Treatment Plant at Opa,” PWD minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar informed lawmakers in a written reply.
The minister said that his department had already begun the work to lay the water pipeline along the plateau and the residents could expect piped water by March 2019.
Kadamba plateau, which is a less than five kilometers away from the state capital, is emerging as a real-estate hotspot with several residential projects, three major schools and at least one major hospital coming up in the vicinity.
With the Old Goa-bypass being commissioned, the area is emerging as an urban outgrowth of Panaji but lack of proper water supply and power infrastructure has been a dampener.
“The work of laying of pipeline along NH 4A in Kadamba Plateau is in progress and will likely to be completed by March, 2019,” Dhavalikar said.
Residents of Kadamba plateau have held multiple ‘jal satyagraha’ and silent protests to celebrate Liberation Day and to voice their disappointment over the long-term water scarcity in the area despite government assurances.

Water scarcity is a top risk to global food production.
1) Competition – and one group wins First, physical water scarcity can occur when there is simply not enough water to meet all demands – when use outpaces replenishment.
For example, when an upstream irrigation scheme consumes too much water, downstream farmers are left to do without.
2) Not everyone has access to the technologies Sometimes technologies to fight water scarcity exist, but the people who need them most are left out by inequitable or otherwise flawed institutions.
Rather, addressing this scarcity also requires overcoming issues of access, equity and siloed thinking.
The right business models can support smallholder farmers to address water scarcity.
For example, investments in developing businesses through training, stronger supply chains and credit access could encourage more entrepreneurs to invest in new technologies such as solar irrigation pumps.
Another option is to invest in increased water storage, such as on-farm ponds.
Policy change in combination with investments in innovative business models is a promising option for alleviating water scarcity.
Only with this winning combination can we protect small farms from water scarcity and take the essential steps toward food security.

Jan 31, Colombo: The World Bank has agreed to extend further assistance to expand the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project, which is currently being implemented in 7 districts, to many other districts.
A delegation of World Bank from Washington led by special World Bank representative Takuya Kamata called on the Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education Rauff Hakeem and held discussions recently.
During the discussion, the World Bank representative consented to grant further assistance to expand the implementation of the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project in Sri Lanka.
Also attention was drawn to establish a task force with the collaboration of three Ministries related to this subject to meet the water requirement of the public by discovering water sources and constructing reservoirs.
Accordingly, the task force will be headed by the Secretaries of the Ministry of Water Supply, Ministry of Irrigation and the Ministry of Mahaweli Development.
Minister Hakeem, emphasized that to provide pure drinking water to areas with water scarcity the attention of the Ministry is drawn to the construction of tube wells, discovering new water sources and constructing of reservoirs.
The Minister also explained to the delegation the opportunity to alleviate poverty and enhance living standards of the poor through providing pure drinking water and sanitary facilities to under privileged rural communities, including plantation workers.
Ministry Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne, National Water Supply and Drainage Board Chairman K.A.
Ansar, Director of World Bank Project of Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement, NUK.
Ranatunga, and other delegates, Ms. Prathibha Mistry and Thiruli Liyanage and several other officials were present at the discussion.

Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The Italian Embassy in Riyadh, in collaboration with Prince Sultan University, organized “The Shapes of Water” (Trame d’Acqua) exhibition by La Triennale di Milano.
Saudi people are culturally educated and active in all cultural fields.” Speaking to Saudi Gazette Dr. Al-Yamani said: “Prince Sultan University is collaborating with La Triennale museum where they have the exhibition that moves around in the region and we thought it would be very helpful for the university as community service to focus on awareness of water.
Since Saudi Arabia has the challenges of water scarcity, we thought it would be very appropriate to bring it to the community through our students and faculties and open the exhibition to the public.
(It is important) to think about the use and the misuse of water as the government spends 25 percent of oil and gas revenues on water desalination, which is expected to reach 50 percent by 2030.
It is very important for Saudis to be aware of the importance of water and what the government has to go through to get them fresh water.
” The exhibition continues till Jan. 31 and aims to address the issue of water scarcity and the sustainable use of water, both themes being of particular relevance nowadays.
It features social design and product design items by international designers, as well as artists from the wider Mediterranean region, related to different uses of water.
Renowned Saudi artist and designer Noura Bouzo contributed to the exhibition by creating an original item inspired by the traditional Islamic water filters in use many centuries ago across the Arab region.
“The Shapes of Water” is an example of the thriving cultural partnership between Italy and Saudi Arabia and concludes the year-long cultural program promoted by the Italian Embassy in Riyadh within the framework of the “Italy, Cultures and the Mediterranean”, a project aimed at fostering dialogue between Italy and the wider Mediterranean region in the cultural sector.
La Triennale di Milano is a prestigious Italian cultural institution founded almost a century ago with the aim of promoting art and design applied to everyday life.

She was speaking at the inaugural session of five-day tailor made training workshop on "Gender, Water Management & Climate Adaptation" co-organized by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) at the Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences) and International education for Water Education (IHE), Netherlands from Jan 28 to Feb 1 here.
"After few big dams we have not planned or built any such other water saving reservoir.
Such training sessions are necessary and should be held to develop adequate information and expertise over the matter," she said.
She added that Netherlands would like to support programmes related to water management and agriculture sector development.
"Netherlands will develop data base helpful in water management in various parts of the world.
"Pakistan is ranked among the most water scarce and vulnerable to climate change countries.
The training material had been developed by IHE Delft resource persons, covering key water issues in water governance including trans-boundary water issues, WASH, integrated water management, policy and institutional environment of water governance, policy and politics of climate adaptation and other key topics.
Director IMSciences, Peshawar Dr Muhammad Mohsin said that the training session was a first step towards international training and water shortage was a national problem and we would have to work on this issue.
Professor (Water Governance, IHE) Margaret Zwarteveen said that climate change and other associated global environmental issues had manifested the fact that all old knowledge, policies and mechanisms had gone outdated and insufficient to cope with the induced matter of water scarcity.
However, the training session would help built mechanisms and understanding of the water governance and management concepts in a proper way, she added.

Fears linger for livelihoods as new villages being built for Lao victims may not be suitable for agriculture THE VICTIMS of the Xi Pian-Xe Namnoi Dam collapse may not be able to return to their normal lives any time soon because the locations of their new villages and farmlands are unsuitable for living and farming.
Some of the people affected by the deadly hydropower-dam disaster in Attapeu province of southern Laos were recently compensated for the loss of family members.
So they are finding new land for us on higher ground to rebuild and to farm and the dam companies are building the houses for us,” Wan said.
“Even though the village construction is slower than planned, we can now see where our village will be and where we can farm because the site has already been cleared and construction is now progressing.” Sanamxay district chief Bounhome Phommasane told ABC Laos News report in October that every displaced resident would be able to move into five newly built villages the following month.
If we move into the new village, we will have to live in an unfamiliar arid environment where we cannot grow rice and will find it very difficult to find clean water,” he said.
The authorities will dig groundwater wells to provide clean water for the villagers, Wan was told.
Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said the main priority for the government was to assist the affected people in every way so they could get back to their normal lives.
The Prime Minister’s Office last Friday issued an order directing SK Engineering and Construction, the South Korean dam construction company, and Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Co, the dam operator, to pay US$10,000 (Bt320,000) for each of the 71 people officially accounted for as deceased or missing to their families.
Many said $10,000 was a large sum, but for the disaster victims who had lost family members and all their possessions, the amount was far from enough to rebuild their lives.
The affected people will have to wait until the government and dam companies can agree on the amount, the source said.

India and Pakistan have been engaged in a bitter feud over Kashmir since 1947.
What makes Jammu and Kashmir so important are its vast natural resources i.e. water.
In Pakistan, women and children walk miles every day to scout for water even in the nations financial capital, Karachi.
The latest dispute between India and Pakistan is over hydroelectric projects which India is building along the Chenab River that Islamabad claims violate the Indus Water Treaty.
“The prospect of two nuclear-armed rivals becoming embroiled in escalating tensions over water is disturbing and poses severe implications for security in South Asia, according to experts.
Imran Khan’s government has attempted to mend relations with India, but New Delhi has been circumspect and unwilling to negotiate unless terror activities are not completely halted.
Still, all sides see the long-term risks of conflict over water: Khan himself is attempting to raise $17 billion via the world’s largest crowd-fund for the construction of two large dams, one of which would be built in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
“We need to give it a lot of attention.” The most serious threat to the water agreement of late followed a terrorist attack on an Indian army camp in September 2016, when Modi stated that “blood and water and cannot flow together” and vowed to review the treaty.
Pakistan, India and Afghanistan are among the world’s eight most water-stressed countries.
Water scarcity has led to regular protests in cities from Shimla in India to Lahore in Pakistan.

HATHRAS: Fifty young people in Nagla Maya village in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district have, in a desperate measure, proposed to auction themselves to raise money to provide for drinking water in their village.
Residents of Nagla Maya allege an acute shortage of drinking water in their village and claim they have met different officials and raise the issues of water scarcity in the village.
Fed up with alleged poor quality of drinking water, the youngsters have formed a youth public welfare and said they will conduct an auction of themselves to protest the deplorable water situation in their village.
One youngster participating in the move said, "The administration cites a lack of funds for not addressing our problem.
So we decided to auction ourselves on the Republic Day to raise money."
One of the protestors also claimed that as many as 60 villages in the region with lakhs of residents are adversely affected by the scarcity of drinking water.
The Hathras district administration took cognizance of the incident and assured of appropriate action.
Rama Shankar Maurya, District Magistrate, Hathras said, “A letter has been sent to the government in order to resolve this problem and appropriate action will be taken.
Action will also be taken against those who are involved."

Chennai: It’s inevitable to say that waterbodies in Madipakkam and surrounding neighourhoods will soon be among very few sources of drinking water to Chennaiites, as Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is planning to tap stored rain water from reservoirs in Nanmangalam Reserve Forest.
But even before the government could quench the thirst of city residents, private tanker lorrys are in the process of extracting water illegally from wells that are present in private lands near the forest.
Thanks to Sholinganallur Tahsildar Nirmala, the racket has finally been busted.
Nirmala paid a surprise visit to Kovilambakkam on 14 January and was successfully able to seize two tanker lorries.
The incident happened when they were illegally extracting water from a well at the 200-feet Radial Road in Kovilambakkam.
Speaking to News Today, Guberan, a resident of Kovilambakkam, said, I was not at the spot when the incident happened, but I highly appreciate the Tahsildars surprise move.
Most of these tankers operate in the wee hours which made it difficult for officials to nab them all this while.
No one here opposes water extraction.
There are a lot of waterbodies outside the city like Maduranthangam and Chengalpet which are good sources of drinking water.
Residents alleged that he has been allowing illegal water extraction for over 15 years now.

MADIKERI: Even before the onset of summer, Madikeri, which suffered a deluge just five months ago, is now facing acute scarcity of drinking water.
Locals complain that the City Muncipal Council is supplying grimy drinking water once a week.
“It has been five days since we received water supply from the CMC.
If this is the situation now, what are we to do in summer?” questioned Sandhya, a resident.
Meanwhile, Madikeri CMC officials visited the Kunda Mestri water supply unit near Galibeedu only to find out that it was not properly maintained.
The temporary dam built with sand bags had washed off and no was water being stored so far, which has worsened the situation in the city.
“We have asked officials to repair the water storage unit immediately.
The flow of water has changed direction after the natural calamity, resulting in water shortage,” said officials.
She added that the entire district may face water scarcity.