Goa's Water Crisis Deepens as TCP Continues to Grant Clearances for New Projects

Panaji's water deficit has reached 2 million liters per day, yet the state government continues to greenlight new projects, such as a 587-room luxury resort at Miramar, without assessing whether they have access to sufficient water resources. The mismatch between water production and demand is glaring, with the state's daily production of treated drinking water standing at 695 million liters, while demand has overshot this figure by 62 million liters.

Key Takeaways:

• The town and country planning (TCP) department continues to issue technical clearances for new housing and tourism projects without assessing access to water resources.
• Goa's water infrastructure is strained, with a growing crisis exacerbated by rapid urbanization, unchecked groundwater extraction, and a swelling tourist population.
• The public works department (PWD) and the water resources department (WRD) are not consulted before clearances are handed out, despite being responsible for ensuring citizens have access to water.
• The TCP's failure to verify water availability before approval has led to rejected approvals for 18 multi-dwelling projects since 2020, including a 679-unit project in Sancoale.
• Developers are now building on hill slopes without existing pipelines, and expect the government to fund infrastructure, putting a strain on public finances.
• The PWD has expressed frustration over the pressure on the system, with officials stating that the state's demand for water is increasing due to an estimated resident population of 19 lakh and an annual tourist inflow of 1 crore.
• The revised rule requiring a water connection to obtain an occupancy certificate may not be effective, as developers often collect infrastructure tax from builders but fail to provide necessary connections.

Statistics:

• Goa's daily production of treated drinking water is 695 million liters, while demand has already overshot this figure by 62 million liters.
• The fatal water deficit in Panaji is 2 million liters per day, sufficient to meet the requirements of an entire residential zone.
• The demand for water in Siolim alone has reached 7 million liters per day, over half of the village's requirement.
• Goa's annual tourist inflow is 1 crore, alongside an estimated resident population of 19 lakh.
• The state's 11 new water treatment plants under construction will add 248 million liters to the system, but may not be able to keep pace with the construction licenses and technical clearances issued by the TCP.

Sources:

• TNN Panaji:
• "In a state battling water scarcity across both urban and rural belts, the town and country planning (TCP) department continues to issue technical clearances for new housing and tourism projects on a daily basis without assessing a fundamental requirementùaccess to water."
• "Goa's daily production of treated drinking water stands at 695 MLD. The demand has already overshot this figure by 62 MLD."
• "In Siolim alone, the shortfall touches 7 MLDùover half of the village's requirement."
• "The state's demand is surging due to an estimated resident population of 19 lakh, alongside an annual tourist inflow of 1 crore."
• A senior PWD official: "Many projects come up without NoC from the PWD. There needs to be a legal provision where TCP must verify water availability before approval."
• An unnamed panchayat member: "If a panchayat denies permission due to lack of water, the appeal lies with the Directorate of Panchayats, which often overrules the decision."