MAPUSA
In the picturesque coastal village of Anjuna a less glamorous struggle has quietly simmered for nearly a year – the lack of a basic necessity: drinking water.
On Tuesday, this frustration boiled over as villagers came together in a massive protest, not over the infamous loud music that often stirs debate in this tourist haven, but over something far more fundamental – the right to clean, regular water.
Despite a year of record rainfall in Goa, the taps in Anjuna-Caisua have run dry for months, leaving the community grappling with the unrelenting issue of irregular water supply.
For nearly four months, the problem has worsened, hitting a critical point during Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the most significant festivals in the region.
Instead of celebrating, families found themselves in dire straits, with not a drop of water to manage the festivities.
ACCOUNTABILITY
In a powerful display of collective anguish, the villagers – armed with buckets, pots, and utensils – marched to the Public Works Department (PWD) office in Mapusa, determined to make their voices heard.
They surrounded the office, demanding immediate action to restore water supply, a service that has long eluded them.
Their message was clear: the patience of Anjuna's residents had run out.
Anjuna Sarpanch Laxmidas Chimulkar stood in solidarity with the crowd, echoing the villagers' frustrations.
“For almost a year now, the people of Anjuna have been enduring extreme hardship due to this erratic water supply. The PWD has failed to even provide adequate staff to monitor the pipelines. This is unacceptable,” Chimulkar stated emphatically.
He, along with other panchayat members, called for urgent action from the department, pushing for immediate restoration of the water supply.
One local panchayat member expressed his dismay over the ordeal during Ganesh Chaturthi, when households were left completely dry.
“There wasn’t a single drop of water in our homes during the festival. It was raining heavily outside, yet inside, we had no water at all. And to make matters worse, the PWD staff weren’t even available because it was a holiday,” he lamented.
AGEING PIPELINE
At the heart of the problem lies an old, deteriorating pipeline that frequently breaks down, disrupting the water supply to the village.
Repeated calls for the replacement of this ageing infrastructure have gone unanswered, leaving residents in a constant state of uncertainty.
Villagers are now demanding that the pipeline be replaced on a priority basis.
One protestor, a familiar face to the PWD office staff, shared her own frustrations.
“I’ve been coming here for years, lodging complaints. They all know me by now. Yet nothing changes,” she said.
Her frustration was palpable as she questioned the government’s neglect of a village that contributes significantly to the state’s tourism revenue.
“Anjuna’s coastal belt brings in so much revenue. Why are we made to suffer for something as basic as water?” she asked.
In an ironic twist, she even offered to provide labour herself after hearing the PWD’s excuse of not having enough manpower.
ULTIMATUM
The villagers have given the PWD a 15-day ultimatum to restore regular water supply or face drastic consequences.
They warned that if their demands are not met, they would block the roads and shut down the coastal belt – one of the state’s major tourist draws.
Anjuna, a village that has long been synonymous with its scenic beaches and lively markets, is now becoming the face of a larger issue: the denial of basic amenities.
While the beaches continue to attract visitors, the residents of this coastal community are left grappling with the irony of living amid abundant natural beauty but lacking the most essential resource for survival.
The countdown has begun, and the villagers are prepared to take their protest to the streets if action is not taken.
For Anjuna, this is no longer just a fight for water – it is a fight for dignity.
