Goa becomes first state in country to give free water to people

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday announced that the state will become the first state in the country to supply water free of cost to its citizens. The programme came into effect on Wednesday, 1 September. Sawant had announced the state’s decision to provide free water to households on 15 August.

Sawant launched the ‘Save Water to Get Free Water’ scheme on Tuesday under which households in the state will not be charged for consumption up to 16,000 litres. The Goa chief minister believes that the programme would ensure that 60% of households do not have to pay any water bills. Assessing a press conference in Panaji, Sawant said, “Goa will be the first state in the country to give water free to the people. We are not giving this water to waste; we want to save water to get free water. From September 1, we are reducing water bills. 16,000 litres of water will be given free of cost and 60 per cent of the households will get zero bills. Those living in flats or complexes will be able to utilise the scheme,” he added. He added that small companies and restaurants will be moved from industrial to commercial areas for water billing, allowing them to take advantage of this programme. To make it easier to pay pending invoices, OTS (one-time settlement) has also been extended by two months.