The full bench of the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) headed by retired High Court Justice U. V. Bakre and comprising of former District Judges Desmond D’Costa and Pramod Kamat has yesterday issued notices to Tiswadi Deputy Collector, Old Goa Police Inspector and the Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department seeking their replies by 6th April on the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues over last week’s destruction of an age old public well at Fonduvem in Ribandar.
Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint to the GHRC stated that some miscreants with ulterior motives had illegally and very high-handedly filled the well with truck loads of mud on the intervening night of March 11 and 12th.
Pointing out that this public well has been used by generations of Ribandar residents, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint has urged the GHRC that the authorities be directed to speedily investigate the matter and nab the culprits behind this serious crime of destroying a public well.
Adv. Rodrigues has further sought that the Water Resources Department be directed to restore this public well on a priority in view of the ensuing summer season when the residents of Ribandar face acute shortage in supply of government water and depend on public wells for their water needs.
Adv. Rodrigues has also sought that the authorities act swiftly to ensure that the Human Rights of Ribandar residents are not violated by denial of water from this age old public well which has been mischievously destroyed.
This damaged well is one of the seven wells constructed at Ribandar during the Portuguese regime to cater to the water needs of the people.
