Well water in Goa beach villages has worms: minister

Well water in tourism-oriented coastal Goan villages is so bad that it is infested with worms, Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said Friday.

"In Calangute, if you put your hand in the water, germs cling on to your hands," said Dhavalikar, whose ministry is responsible for collection, treatment and water distribution across the state.

Calangute is one of the post popular beach villages in Goa known for its beach and nightlife.

Dhavalikar also said that like in Calangute, well water in coastal areas was extremely polluted.

Dhavalikar told a press conference Friday that pollution of the water table along the heavily populated, tourism-oriented coastline made it imperative to ensure that a Japan-government sponsored sewerage and water distribution project was speedily implemented.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded project in Goa includes expansion and augmentation of three water treatment plants, which would cater to both the districts catering to a population of about 6.60 lakh.

While the state government was to provide for taxes, land charges and other costs, the loan was to be repaid over a period of 30 years.

The project worth Rs.1,000 crore plus, started in 2007, suffered several setbacks and has dragged for years, thanks to sloppy management and delays caused by bureaucrats and tentative political decision-making.

The minister also said that in the coming months Goa would be the first state in the country to implement online systems which facilitate electronic calculation, billing of water usage and payment of water dues.