the goan I network
MAPUSA
Angry residents of Camarkhazan on Wednesday refused to allow land survey officials carry out demarcation of land at the site for the second phase sewerage treatment plant in Camarkhazan-Mapusa.
Officials of the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records had to beat a hasty retreat after locals questioned the tardy process adopted by the government departments in acquiring the land for the second STP.
The unrelenting residents questioned the officials for keeping them in the dark on the project and for carrying out the acquisition process in a hushed manner.
“As per the plan, my fields will also be taken up for the STP project, but I have not received any notice from the government. Yet, mud and metal has been dumped in my fields,” said Aaron Gomes.
Anthony D’Souza, one of the many other residents opposing the STP, said he was also never informed about the construction of the plant.
While field surveyor, Vivek Bude, unsuccessfully tried to persuade the agitated locals, Sewerage & Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) Deputy GM Ganesh Kodlekere looked on helplessly from a distance.
Finally, the officials left the site without carrying out the demarcation of the land.
“We had come to carry out demarcation of the land based on the order of the deputy collector. Since most of the notices have not been served to the land owners, another date will be decided later,” said Bude.
Kodlekere said he would inform the higher ups about Wednesday’s development.
“I will report to my seniors and accordingly, the next course of action will be decided,” Kodlekere told The Goan.
He said the second STP would have a larger capacity of 20 MLD and would treat sewage of Porvorim and other areas such as Saligao, Aldona and adjoining areas.
He further said work on the STP was tendered around six months back after obtaining NOCs from land owners like Mapusa communidade and the church.
When informed that Mapusa communidade had recently revoked the NOC granted to the sewerage corporation, Kodlekere said he wasn’t aware of it.
When questioned when Mapusa and Calangute where building STPs in their own constituencies why Porvorim couldn’t do the same, he said the Camarkhazan STP would tackle sewage of larger area.
It may be recalled that The Goan was first to report on February 12, 2017 that government had planned to build a second STP for Porvorim next to the STP constructed for Mapusa.
SIDCGL had decided to build a 20 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP) in Mapusa to treat Porvorim sewage.
