This is a serious issue and authorities have been directed to take water samples for analysis
- Pramod Sawant
BICHOLIM: While people are yet to fully overcome fears over adulterated food products, panic over contaminated water gripped people in and around Sakhali after the famous Harvalem waterfall was suspected to have been polluted with the discharge of chemicals.
Such has been the alarm that Speaker and Sankhlim MLA Pramod Sawant even visited the site on Sunday and inspected the waterfall along with a Goa State Pollution Control Board team (GSPCB).
“This is a serious issue and authorities have been directed to take water samples for analysis,” said Sawant.
The sight of foam-like substance flowing from the Harvalem waterfall since the last two days have left many people suspecting that the chemicals have been discharged from factories located upstream in the Pissurlem Industrial Estate.
What has caused considerable concern among locals is that water from the Harvalem waterfall flows downstream and is used by people for bathing and other purposes.
The GSPCB team has collected water samples and will analyse them to ascertain if the water was contaminated and if so, the factory involved in discharging the contaminants.
Fears over the contaminated food had earlier gripped the State amid allegations of formalin-laced fish arriving at the wholesale market last month. A few days ago, about 10,000 mangoes and other fruits were destroyed by the FDA after the fruits were found to have been contaminated with ripening chemicals at Canacona.
