TCP clears housing, tourism projects without asking: Where is the water?

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 requirement—access to water.Rapid urbanisation, compounded by unchecked groundwater extraction and the burden of a swelling tourist population, has left Goa’s already strained water infrastructure gasping for breath. But despite the growing crisis, government departments continue to function in silos. Clearances for towering housing colonies and luxury resorts are handed out without consultation with the public works department (PWD) or the water resources department (WRD), the very bodies tasked with ensuring that the state’s citizens are not left parched.Nowhere is this more evident than in Panaji. The capital faces a current shortfall of 2 million litres per day (MLD) in its water supply—roughly the requirement for a ward the size of Mala. Yet, just weeks ago, the state greenlit a 587-room luxury resort at Miramar. When officials from the tourism department were asked about parking and water requirements at a Goa Tourism Board Meeting on May 28, the response was ‘Not our headache.

’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 MLD—over half of the village’s requirement. The mismatch is glaring, and it is growing.As per estimates, an urban household in Goa consumes around 170 litres of water per person per day. The deficit in Panaji alone could affect an entire residential zone.

Across the state, PWD officials have expressed frustration over the pressure on the system.The 11 new water treatment plants under construction—costing Rs 1,023 crore and adding 248 MLD to the system—cannot keep pace with the construction licenses and technical clearances issued by the TCP. The state’s demand is surging due to an estimated resident population of 19 lakh, alongside an annual tourist inflow of 1 crore.Since 2020, the PWD has rejected approvals for a mere 18 multi-dwelling projects—10 in North Goa and 8 in South—on grounds of inadequate infrastructure. The largest among them was a 679-unit project in Sancoale.Despite such rejections, there is no mechanism to halt the TCP from issuing technical clearances.“Many projects come up without NoC from the PWD. There needs to be a legal provision where TCP must verify water availability before approval,” a senior PWD official said.

He added that developers are now building on hill slopes with no existing pipelines and expect the government to fund the infrastructure.“Why should public money be spent for someone choosing to build in an area without basic access?” the official asked.Until recently, there was no requirement for a water connection to obtain an occupancy certificate. This changed only last year, after pressure from the PWD. The department hopes the revised rule will compel developers to obtain water availability certificates in advance.But there is a catch. “The govt collects infrastructure tax from builders but when the time comes to provide electricity and water connections, the departments give excuses. Developers are always under pressure to deliver as they know that the buyer will approach RERA for compensation if there is a delay. The panchayats and the departments know this and they use it for their gains,” said the managing director of a real estate firm.“If a panchayat denies permission due to lack of water, the appeal lies with the Directorate of Panchayats, which often overrules the decision,” said a panchayat member from North Goa. He noted that rising FAR limits in villages—from 60% to 80%—and approvals by the Investment Promotion Board for large projects have weakened the panchayat’s authority.Despite mounting evidence of scarcity, the TCP continues to approve mega projects—resorts, second homes, and gated colonies—without consulting departments responsible for ensuring infrastructure.