Undertaking a green innovation project, Panaji Smart City Development Ltd in Goa is on its way to becoming the first in India to supply treated wastewater for green spaces. The agency has notably come up with a plan to fuse technology and sustainability to recycle and reuse water resources for various non-potable purposes. According to the Executive Engineer, Works Division-III (PHE) Nivruti Parsekar, this one-of-kind project will be commissioned in December 2023.

The Goa Public Works Department is constructing a sump of 2,000 cubic metre and five tanks, each of 300 cubic metre capacity to further the concept of this water project. The idea is to transform Panaji into a Smart City, one that can utilise wastewater from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and treat them for reuse in watering parks, gardens and other green areas. Reportedly, the total infrastructure cost of this project has been estimated at ₹10 crores.

Pareskar, an Executive Engineer at PWD said that this move alone will divert about 12 MLD of treated water from the creek to the sump and water tanks. This could be then used for watering green spaces of Goa.

"With an aim to make available treated wastewater for government agencies and the forest department as an alternative to potable water for various non-potable uses, we are going ahead with this project. This will help to save potable water from being used for non-potable usage," Parsekar said.

Bhagwan Mahavir Bal Vihar park in Panaji, maintained by the Forest Department and other gardens are presently using freshwater, and would soon switch to the new system in the future. It may also gain popularity at construction sites, remarked the civil engineering fraternity. The demand will rise if prices are reasonable, stakeholders believe.

It’s true that Goa is always in trends but this is possibly one of the few times when it's going to be a trendsetter. The novel thinking, the proactive approach and strive towards sustainability of resources is what makes this water project stand out. The move will effectively mitigate the impact of water-crisis in the state, in general and the country at large.