PANAJI
The Congress on Monday demanded accountability from the BJP government over sewage pollution in the Mandovi estuary, seeking transparency on casino wastewater disposal and a time-bound action plan to prevent untreated sewage from entering the river.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar said the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s (GSPCB) latest interim report, submitted to the High Court, found faecal coliform levels exceeding the permissible limit at all 22 sampling locations during monsoon sampling in August. Levels ranged from 130 to 940 MPN/100 ml, against the permissible limit of 100 MPN/100 ml.
Chodankar questioned the handling of sewage generated by offshore casinos, noting that the report records its transportation to the Patto sewage treatment plant but provides no documentary evidence of its final disposal.
He also flagged drainage channels, domestic drains and urban nullahs, including Rua de Ourem and St Inez Creek, as potential sources of untreated sewage entering the estuary.
He demanded that the government identify pollution sources, fix responsibility, publish a corrective action plan with clear deadlines and regularly release water-quality reports covering the Mandovi estuary, Mala Lake and St Inez Creek.
