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Coke goes dry: Goa's industry minister cuts water supply

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Thousands of Coca-Cola bottles are going dry in Goa once again as the Congress government has suddenly cut off water supply within four months of the soft drink multinational beginning its trial production at the newly set up mega plant here.

Churchill Alemao, the state industries minister, justified his action of disconnecting the water supply to Hindustan Coca-Cola Bottling South West Private Limited situated at Verna. He argued that the industrial estate is short of water.

The mega plant worth Rs 300 million needs around 2000 cubic metres of water every day if the multinational goes ahead with its plan to fill 500 bottles per minute. However, its trial production is presently consuming only 800 cubic metres of water per day.

Dr Wilfred de Souza, former chief minister and one-time political guru of Alemao, alleges that the government has an ulterior motive in disconnecting the water supply. However, he did not hold anybody in particular responsible for it. Alemao, while admitting that it is his action, however denied the allegation.

"People first, industry later is my slogan", said Alemao. He claimed that no additional amount of water could be spared for Coke because other electronic and pharmaceutical multinationals are running short of water. "I cannot allow favouritism," he added.

Alemao runs Churchill Brothers, the famous football team. He vehemently refuted the allegation that his is an attempt at arm-twisting Coke to get some of his football players sponsored by the multinational. "I will never get my players sponsored by Coca-Cola," claimed Alemao.

But suspicion still haunts the controversy as his cabinet colleague and Water Supplies Minister Ravi Naik denies that Verna Industrial Estate is running short of water. "The estate is consuming only 2000 cubic metres of water while our contract is to supply upto 5000 cubic metres. Only 800 cc of it is consumed by Coke," he clarified.

Sidelining these facts, Alemao appears to have flexed his muscles in his usual style with the soft drink multinational by stopping water ‘'for the time being’'. As an alternative, he has given them a proposal to lay 45-km long special pipeline from Selaulim irrigation project. "I will not leave them," he asserted.

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Goa