Only 65 takers in 8 years for well upkeep scheme

Panaji: Eight years have gone by since the WRD introduced its ‘Nital Baim, Nital Goem’ scheme, under which a subsidy is provided for the maintenance and repair of ground-level water structures like wells to retain water quality.

However, from the scheme’s launch in 2017 to date, only 65 applicants have sought the Rs 50,000 subsidy from the WRD.While 64 of the scheme’s beneficiaries are individuals, one is a temple located at Ela, Old Goa. Barring seven new cases where the grant of subsidy is presently in process, all have been sanctioned financial aid for maintenance. The scheme, however, has not picked up as expected considering that there are over 5,000 wells in the state that have been registered with the WRD.The ‘Nital Baim, Nital Goem’ scheme covers reimbursement of up to Rs 50,000 spent on repairs like the construction of parapets, plastering with glazed tile pieces, repairs of electric equipment, and cleaning of wells, including annual dewatering. The subsidy is a one-time govt aid and is aimed at bolstering the upkeep of wells owned by individuals or groups of farmers and used to meet drinking water requirements or for irrigation.

WRD officials said that the response for ‘Nital Baim, Nital Goem’ has not picked up despite efforts to raise awareness of the scheme’s benefits.“We created awareness through every village panchayat in the state and distributed pamphlets about the scheme. But the response has not been as expected. It is possibly due to fewer people being interested in using well water now. Many wells have fallen into disuse, and there may not be as much enthusiasm to maintain them because of increased reliance on piped water supply,” said a WRD official.