Fatorda’s sewage gaps: 95% progress clouded by River Sal pollution woes

A storm water drain in Margao seen carrying sewage into the River Sal at Khareband.

MARGAO
Authorities have turned their attention to serious environmental concerns in Fatorda, where the South Goa District Hospital and the SGPDA wholesale and retail markets are under scrutiny for allegedly discharging wastewater into storm water nullahs that flow into the River Sal.
In a positive development, officials from the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) confirmed that the North Main Trunk Line passing through Fatorda has been commissioned. As a result, nearly 95 per cent of the Fatorda area is now connected to the underground sewage network. The remaining five per cent includes unconnected pockets such as Dovondem and individual households yet to be linked to the system.
The issue was discussed at a meeting convened on Tuesday by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who called for coordinated action among key stakeholders. Officials from SIDCGL, the Public Works Department (PWD), the Water Resources Department, the Margao Municipal Council, South Goa District Hospital, and the SGPDA are expected to meet soon to address the gaps and ensure proper sewage management.
During the meeting, Sardesai telephonically spoke with the Medical Superintendent of the district hospital and the Member Secretary of the SGPDA, stressing the urgency of resolving the wastewater disposal issue. He stated that officials would be presented with photographic evidence documenting the discharge of sewage in Fatorda. Warning of further action, Sardesai said that failure to act could lead to public exposure of the lapses and demands for accountability.
The meeting was also attended by local representatives, including Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz, Navelim Sarpanch Paul Pereira, and Varca Panchayat member Roland Fernandes, among others.
Sardesai further assured that his office, along with the Goa Forward Party, would assist households unable to afford sewerage connections.
Addressing concerns in Margao, the MLA said he would take up the matter with his counterpart and PWD Minister Digambar Kamat to explore measures to prevent sewage from entering storm water drains. He also plans to seek the intervention of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to stop the flow of sewage from Margao into the River Sal.
Referring to the threat issued by the sarpanchas from coastal villages, warning that they would block nullahs carrying sewage into the River Sal if immediate corrective steps are not taken, Sardesai expressed hope that the situation would not escalate to that point.
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Coastal representatives threaten to block nullahs over Sal pollution
MARGAO: Exasperated over the discharge of sewage and wastewater into the River Sal, affecting Salcete’s tourism belt, elected representatives from Salcete’s coastal belt, led by Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz, have threatened to block all the Margao storm water nullahs carrying sewage into the river.
The Cavelossim Sarpanch, along with Varca Panch member Roland Fernandes and others, attended a meeting with officials of the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) and the PWD (Sewerage), convened by Goa Forward Chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday.
A visibly agitated Dixon told the media that the tourism belt is suffering the brunt of the sewage disposal from Margao and its surrounding areas. “We read in the media that it is not safe to swim in the water because of pollution. The pollution is not happening because of the villages, but due to sewage discharged into the River Sal in Margao and Fatorda,” he added.
Saying that sewage disposal through the storm water nullahs should be stopped within a set timeframe, Dixon warned that failure to do so will force the elected representatives to dump material at the mouths of the nullahs to stop sewage flow into the river. “This is an extreme measure which we will be forced to take to save the River Sal from pollution and protect tourism. We hope better sense prevails and the authorities stop the sewage discharge into the river,” he asserted.