CCP directed to probe sewage discharge from nearby houses
PANAJI
Stagnant water, algae growth on the lake bed and possible sewage discharge are the three likely reasons behind the large-scale fish deaths at Mala Lake, the State informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday, with the Court ordering a detailed inquiry into possible sewage inflow from nearby houses.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam, appearing for the State, submitted to the Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar that preliminary findings suggested that severe oxygen depletion in the lake water was the immediate cause of the fish deaths.
He was quick to add that the Goa State Pollution Control Board was still attempting to establish the precise source of the problem.
“We have carried out several tests, the cause of the problem was due to a lack of oxygen of a particular standard in this water,” Pangam told the court, which initiated a suo motu PIL into large-scale fish death at Mala lake.
Pangam explained to the Bench that water samples collected on April 11 showed dissolved oxygen levels at 0.8 mg per litre, far below the normal threshold of 4 mg per litre required to sustain aquatic life. After the opening of three sluice gates, a fresh test conducted on April 13 recorded a marked improvement, with oxygen levels rising to 11.83 mg per litre.
“We are not able to tell what exactly the reason is. It may be because of stagnant water, growth of algae in the bed of the lake, or sewage discharge -- three possible reasons. A detailed report was still awaited. However, presently the situation has improved, but we need to get to the root of the problem,” he added.
The question of a possible sewage inflow into the lake assumed central importance during the hearing, with the AG seeking that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), the fisheries department and the Sewerage & Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Ltd be added as respondents in the matter. The court allowed the request and adjourned the matter to April 27.
During this time, the High Court also instructed the CCP Commissioner to prepare and file a detailed affidavit on the residential areas surrounding the lake, particularly focusing on habitations located within a 200-metre radius of its banks.
The court directed the civic body to inspect all houses in the vicinity and ascertain whether any raw sewage was being discharged into the lake. It also asked the CCP to submit a mapped plan showing the location of the houses around the water body, along with a detailed account of the methods being used for sewage disposal.
The affidavit, the court said, must include a full report on how sewage from nearby residences is being handled and whether any untreated discharge is entering the lake.
The Court has also appointed Advocate NIgel Fernandes as the amicus curiae to assist the Bench in the matter.
