The Goa government has set a target to meet the state’s entire drinking water demand by 2027, according to Water Resources Minister, Subhash Shirodkar. To achieve this, several new water treatment plants are planned across regions currently lacking such infrastructure.

The ongoing project to increase the height of the Mhaisal dam is part of efforts to ensure raw water availability for these facilities. A new dedicated Department of Drinking Water has been established, separating this responsibility from the Public Works Department (PWD) The department aims to build a robust network of treatment plants to resolve water shortages.

Goa currently faces a 38 percent non-revenue water loss due to aging pipelines and is seeking Central government assistance to replace the entire water supply network. The state has a shortfall of about 65 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water and also struggles with raw water scarcity during summers. To address this, 100 more bandharas are under construction, targeting a total of 500. A Rs 300-crore barrage with a 250 MLD capacity is also underway to benefit Bardez, Pernem, and Bicholim talukas.