Guest houses temporarily shut due to water scarcity in Goa

Several guest houses in Calangute-Baga belt of Goa have temporarily shut down due to acute water shortage in the region.
Several mid-segment guest houses are refusing to check-in tourists, who are flocking the coastal state in the summer vacations, as the wells have run dry and it becomes costlier to buy water.
"Each guest house or restaurant has dedicated well around it. But this year, the water table has dropped such low that even before May, wells have dried up in the coastal belt of Candolim, Calangute and Baga," said Domnic Pereira, who runs two guest houses in the region.

"We have never faced this problem in the past. The well water would suffice till rains arrive but this year, the situation is worst. If it does not rain on time, all the guest houses in the parched belt will have to shut down," he said.
While several of such guest houses have temporarily closed, there are many who are entertaining only two guests in a room rather than a group.
"You can't entertain group of guests in a room. We don't have that much of water to provide them," said Sebastian Fernandes, who also runs a guest house in the Calangute belt.

"The water tanker which charges Rs 500-600 per trip are now demanding Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 for a trip," he claimed.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo agreed that the situation is "grave".
"The well water has dried up and in some areas where there is water, it is polluted due to seeping of sewerage into it," he said.
According to the MLA, locals are also devoid of water supply from state-run Public Works Department.
Lobo said the land acquisition process to have water treatment plant at Gurim, near Mapusa town is dragging feet for several years.
"If we have the plant nearby, the water crisis would have been resolved," he said.

Goa Tourism Director Sanjiv Gauns Desai could not be reached for comments.