log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 346 2 Margao’s new fish market springs to life without formal inauguration 3 GOA CCP racing with pre-monsoon cleaning of drains, nullahs Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 LIFE Monsoon memories tucked inside school bags Goa stares at water crisis as levels at key dams dip  ANJUNEM DAM AT JUST 14 PER CENT  SUPPLY PRESSURE MOUNTS AMID DELAYED MONSOON  OFFICIALS ON ALERT THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA With the arrival of the southwest monsoon delayed and temperatures remaining unusually high, Goa's key drinking water reservoirs have witnessed a sharp decline in storage levels, raising concerns about the sustainability of water supply if rains do not set in soon. The situation is particularly alarming at the Anjunem dam in North Goa, where water storage has dropped to just 14 per cent of capacity, placing authorities on high alert. The reservoir is a crucial source of drinking water for residents of Sattari and Bicholim talukas. Data available with the Water Resources Department shows that most of the State's major reservoirs have fallen well below comfortable levels. The Selaulim dam, Goa's largest reservoir and the primary source of drinking water for South Goa, has declined IN SHORT >> Schools to reopen as scheduled on June 6 PANAJI: Schools across Goa will reopen on June 6 as per the schedule announced earlier, Director of Education Shailesh Zingde said on Tuesday. Responding to concerns over the prevailing high temperatures, Zingde said the monsoon is expected to set in by the time schools reopen. Dead fish found at Campal lake PANAJI: A large number of dead fish were discovered floating on the surface waters of the 'lake' (water body) in the Campal Lakeview Colony on Tuesday morning, sparking fresh concerns over pollution and urban mismanagement, less than two months after the mass fish kill at Mala lake. >> See pg 3 Demolition of Nazri resort commences MAPUSA: In a dramatic development in one of Goa's most high-profile environmental violation cases, demolition of the illegal portion of the Nazri beach resort at Calangute began, nearly 8 years after the demolition order was issued.  >> See pg 3 All check dams across Sattari opened WATER LEVELS AT MAJOR RESERVOIRS „„Most major Goa reservoirs now below comfortable storage levels „„Selaulim dam at 29% live storage capacity „„Tillari reservoir storage falls to 32% „„Panchwadi dam drops to a concerning 23% „„Chapoli dam in Canacona relatively better at 40% „„Gaunem reservoir stands at 44% storage „„Amthane dam healthiest among major reservoirs at 54% to 29 per cent of its live storage capacity, while the Tillari reservoir, which supplements water supply to parts of North Goa, is at 32 per cent. The Panchwadi dam has fallen to a worrying 23 per cent, while Chapoli in Canacona and the smaller Gaunem reservoir are relatively better placed at 40 per cent and 44 per cent respectively. The only reservoir offering some relief is the Amthane dam, which supplies water to Bardez, Pernem and parts of Bicholim. It currently stands at 54 per cent storage, making it the healthiest among the State's major water sources. VALPOI: With the onset of the monsoon just days away, all check dams constructed across various rivers in Sattari taluka have been opened by removing the wooden shutters installed for water storage, ensuring the uninterrupted natural flow of rivers during the rainy season. To prevent any obstruction to the flow of water, the Irrigation Department had directed contractors to clear logs, branches, and other debris trapped between pillars of the check dams. Accordingly, the necessary works have been completed, and potential hindrances to river flow have been removed. In addition, silt accumulated around certain dam structures has also been cleared. Officials stated that special measures have been undertaken to ensure that river channels remain free-flowing throughout the monsoon season. >> See pg 5 The rapidly depleting reservoir levels have sparked concern within government departments, particularly as demand for water continues to rise amid intense summer conditions. Officials fear that an extended delay in the onset of monsoon rains could place additional strain on the Promoted, but still holding on, DySP crunch hits cops MIDDLE CADRE CRISIS IN POLICE FORCE EXPOSED VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI Nearly six months after the government carried out one of the largest promotion exercises in the history of the State police force, elevating 19 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs) to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP), the move exposed an alarming collapse in the middle-rung leadership of the force. Moreover, the irony is striking as several officers elevated to SP rank continue to plug the very DySP vacancies created by their own promotions. The promotions, coupled with alleged failure to fill the resulting vacancies, have left the Goa police with just 11 serving DySPs against a sanctioned strength of 47. The shortfall of 36 officers has forced a small pool of officers to shoulder two, three and, in some cases, four or more assignments simultaneously. Among the promotees, Shaikh Salim is posted as SDPO Pernem, and also han- „„Only 11 serving handling additional DySPs against HOW TOP charge sanctioned COPS ARE „„Gaps being strength of 47 filled across FILLING IN depts such as „„Many ofTHE GAPS Coastal Security, ficers handling multiple responCrime, Traffic, sibilities Election Cell etc „„Several officers manag„„Officers handling both ing two, three, or even four field duties, admin roles assignments „„Specialised branches „„SDPO, DySP officers also affected dling SDPO Mapusa. Francisco Corte, currently DySP EOC, continues to oversee SCRB, JSOCD and DCHC, in addition to holding charge of DySP Welfare. Roy Pereira, posted as DySP Coastal Security, is simultaneously handling the Election Cell, SPCR Panaji and Pink Force Panaji. Nolasco Raposo, serving as Vice Principal of PTS Valpoi, is among the few officers without any recorded additional responsibilities. Braz De Menezes contin- ues as DySP FRRO, while Nutan Verenker, currently SP (AHTU), also holds additional charge of SP Pink Force and DySP AHTU. In South Goa, Gurudas Kadam remains SDPO Vasco, while Sidhant Shirodkar, posted as SDPO Margao, has also been entrusted with SDPO Kushavati and DySP (HQ) South. The trend extends across specialised branches. Jivba >Continued on P8 State's drinking water network. Several parts of Goa are already witnessing signs of water stress. In Bardez, residents have reported reduced water pressure and shorter supply >Continued on P8 Govt revises visa rules for foreigners PTI NEW DELHI The foreigners coming to India on a visa for 180 days or less will now have to register themselves “any time before the expiry of the said period of 180 days” in case they want to stay beyond the visa period, according to changes in the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 notified by the Union home ministry. The foreigners on a visa for more than 180 days with a stipulation that “each stay shall not exceed 180 days” and who wish to stay in India beyond that period on any single occasion or in the aggregate in a calendar year shall have to register “anytime before the expiry of 180 days”. The new rule has now made it clear that such registration will now be granted “only in emergent circumstances”. The new rules also provide slight relief to children born to parents where either or both parents are foreigners. The notification also revises provisions relating to reporting requirements and administrative procedures for hospitals and nursing homes. SC strikes down bias against married daughters PTI NEW DELHI he Supreme Court on Tuesday held that married daughters cannot be excluded from compassionate appointment and their omission from the definition of “family” is manifestly arbitrary, unjustified and constitutionally untenable. A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe made the observation while setting aside an order of the Allahabad High Court that held the definition of “family” doesn't include a married daughter for the purpose of compassionate appointment. The top court was hearing an appeal filed by a woman, T MAJOR APEX COURT OBSERVATIONS „„Marriage does not end a daughter’s bond with her parental family or automatically mean she is no longer dependent on them „„Many married daughters continue to live with, support, or depend on their parents „„Even sons may not necessarily be dependent on family despite being included in such definitions a married daughter of a deceased dealer, who challenged an order of the high court that rejected her claim for appointment as a fair price shop dealer on compassionate grounds. The woman challenged a „„Excluding married daughters is based on a gender stereotype that they “belong” to another family after marriage „„Such assumptions violate the constitutional guarantee of equality and reinforce outdated gender inequality „„Blanket exclusion of married daughters cannot be justified on the assumption that all married daughters live elsewhere 2019 government order that excluded married daughters from the definition of “family”. The top court said the exclusion of a married daughter from the definition cannot be sustained as the object of allotment under the dependent quota is to provide immediate succour to the family of the deceased dealer facing financial hardship. “The relevant considerations are dependency, financial need, residence, and the ability of the applicant to discharge the obligations attached to the dealership. Marital status bears no rational nexus to any of these considerations,” the bench said. The apex court said the impugned provision proceeds on the assumption that upon marriage a daughter ceases to be a member of, or dependent upon, her parental family. “Marriage neither extinguishes the bond between a daughter and her parental family nor furnishes a valid basis to presume absence of dependency. Contemporary social realities demonstrate that many married daughters continue to reside with, support, or remain dependent upon their parents. 6 13 SPORTS PV Sindhu advances to second round of Indonesia Open WITH DISRUPTIONS EVERY HOUR… GOA BEARS BRUNT OF ABRUPT POWER CUTS Over 2,000 failures recorded between Jan-March, reveals department data THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa witnessed nearly one unplanned power outage every hour during the first three months of 2026, exposing persistent vulnerabilities in the state's electricity distribution network despite ongoing infrastructure upgrades worth over Rs 1,500 crore. Data furnished by the Electricity department reveals that a total of 2,133 unplanned power outages were recorded between January and March this year, averaging about 23 disruptions every day somewhere across the state. March, the beginning of the summer season, reported the highest number of outages at 829, followed by 702 in P OW E R D E PA RTM EN T DATA „„2,133 unplanned power outages between Jan-March „„Translates to average of 23 power disruptions daily „„March reported highest number of outages at 829 „„Jan recorded 702 outages, while Feb saw 602 outages „„Major share of outages caused by blown fuses, snapped lines „„Around 4% of outages linked to HT line failures „„Other causes include underground cable breakdowns, transformer failures etc January and 602 in February. Department records show that a significant number of outages were caused by blown fuses and snapping of service lines. Other disruptions were linked to faults in distribution lines, while around four per cent of outages were attributed to failures in high-tension lines. Power supply was also affected by breakdowns of underground cables, transformer >Continued on P8 Govt seeks flexibility in JERC's 24x7 power supply mandate ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI The Goa Electricity Department (GED) has told the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) that while uninterrupted power supply is an “ideal” objective, draft regulations mandating 24x7 electricity and compensation for breakdowns must account for ground realities and technical peculiarities in Goa. In its written submission, ON PAGE 3 App for smart meters soon, electricity dept to GHRC Fed up with endless power cuts, Siolim-Anjuna residents storm power dept offices GED said the rules should be linked to “technical constraints, force majeure conditions, and scheduled maintenance." The department pointed to aging grid infrastructure in the State, heavy monsoons, salinity, hilly terrain, forests, and water bodies as recurring causes of transmission and distribution faults. >Continued on P8