The river Sal is dying. That fact is no more a disputed one. But there is a little sliver of hope, one that needs to be acted upon with alarming urgency. The recent move to desilt
the river is a step in the right direction. On a recent boat journey to inspect the desilted sections in Khareband-Navelim, a group of journalists and Minister of Fisheries, Avertano Furtado were assailed by a vile stench, and the sight of thick black water. Desilting may solve some problems, but if the pollution of the waters continue then all efforts to restore this beautiful waterway, that was once touted as the ‘lifeline of Salcete’, will go in vain.
The problems with the river Sal are many. For years, people have been crying out for solutions to save the river, that was slowly losing its sheen. Studies conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography in 2011 and the Goa State Pollution Control Board in 2014 had interesting observations, but none that startling or unexpected. The river was severely polluted. The faecal coliform content was at over 80 percent when it should have
been nearer to zero, if not zero. The oxygen levels in the river were depleted, due to increasing pollution levels, which was the obvious reason why shellfish and other marine
life were dying or dead. Bacterial contamination was high. As such, one couldn’t swim in the river, use it for any sort of water sport, or fish in it. The reasons for this slow death were many. Sewage run off was one obvious reason. With only a handful of sewage
treatment plants in Goa, there’s no guessing where the rest
of the untreated sewage goes. Into the ground which eventually
makes its way into the ground water resources. Boats
were emptying their waste and other effluents into the waters
and residential complexes, houses and other commercial establishments
were also using the river as a dumping ‘ground’.
The apathy towards this incredible body of water is appalling,
especially considering the high value that Goans put on fish.
The river Sal was one of the biggest sources of shellfish for that
region of South Goa in the past.
Desilting the river and dredging it is just one step to rejuvenating
it. If one does just that and doesn’t plug pollution
sources or find ways to restore its tidal flow, one cannot flush
out pollutants. There is a need to build treatment plants at different
places along the 36 kilometre waterway. Jetties need to
have waste collection systems to avoid dumping of effluents
and waste into the river.
One of the biggest movies to giving this river a fresh breath
of life, would be to curb the reclamation of water bodies along
the river. Right from the genesis of this river in Verna to its
eventual meeting the sea in Cavelossim, water bodies pump
fresh water into the Sal and the tidal flow helps in pushing out
pollutants. But with its sources drying up due to reclamation
and haphazard development, there is a danger that all fresh
water sources might get blocked in the future.
The river Sal can be brought back to life. That needs a consolidated
push and the funds from the Centre will help tremendously.
So will the plans to treat sewage in a few areas.
But there is more to be done. First, the people who live on
its banks and beyond need to realise the importance of saving
this river. Changing mindsets is important but the most
tedious. Everything else is manageable.
