May 21, 2023 might be just another normal Sunday for the people of Goa, but for those in South Goa, this is the day of annual maintenance -- shut down of electricity and water supply.
According to the directives given by the respective departments, the talukas of Salcete, Sanguem and Mormugao will be affected by the same. This means that the people of these taluka will be without water and electricity from 7 am to 6 pm on May 21, 2023.
WHAT WILL THEY DO?
Sunday being a day when most people spend time at home with family, it would be interesting to find out what people plan on doing without water and electricity that day.
Tania Naik, from Margao, says that without water and electricity, it would be quite tedious to manage the daily chores. "But, the best way to spend the day is, either, going around town on our scooter or just trying to fan ourselves and, of course, doing some chores to distract myself from the heat," says Naik.
Aniket Dessai, from Benaulim, says that Sundays are the days meant to be home with family, but nowadays, this is generally not possible.
"People prefer to stay at home because it's the weekend. But now, one just can't bear the heat, and so, we usually go outdoors to get some air," says Dessai.
PICNICS AND OVERNIGHT TRIPS
Several families have already planned to go on picnics and overnight stays. Simonie Dias, from Raia, shares that they have been planning a family picnic for a long time, and finally they finalised this day as it was the day when all of us had nothing to do as there would be no electricity and water supply.
"We will be heading to the beach, probably in the morning, and returning in the evening. We have already assigned duties such as who will prepare the food, get the drinks, and plan the games," says Dias.
CHILLING AT THE BEACH
Dias adds that you will find most Goans going to the beach in the summer, which is quite common.
She explains that, in recent times, heading to the pool and going on farm stays has become a popular fad.
Ray D'souza, from Margao, plans on going to a beach shack with his friends and spending the day listening to music. "We often meet up at an Agonda shack on alternate Sundays, have a glass of beer and eat some good seafood," he adds.
BE PREPARED!
While the plans of heading out are many, there are people who plan on staying at home and carrying on with their daily work. Mario Pimenta from Loutolim is getting all geared up to charge his phone and other electronic equipment.
"I'll make sure to get my phones charged and store additional water before the water and power cut. With the power cut, WiFi won't function either. So, I'll play offline games and watch downloaded videos. I will also spend time with my family and even help out in the kitchen," shares Pimenta.
From chilling out at the beach to staying at home and performing daily chores, South Goans are all set to make this Sunday a truly fruitful one!
(Inputs by Siya Chodankar and Saisma Naik)