MARGAO
It’s a challenge of sorts staring at the Margao Municipal Council and the Goa Waste Management Corporation. And, with the two MLAs of Margao and Fatorda Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai respectively, controlling the affairs of the Margao civic body, can these authorities and the elected representatives stop tonnes of plastic waste from getting washed into river Sal in the ensuing monsoons?
Welcome to the Comba ring road, connecting the city to Salcete’s coastal belt, And, the stormwater nullahs, including the Old market nullah, the favourite waste dumping ground for locals and visitors alike.
The ring road has helped ease traffic congestion in the commercial capital to some extent, but it has thrown up a problem of sorts for the agencies and the powers that be to handle waste disposal.
In fact, the absence of illumination coupled with its isolation from the city’s hustle and bustle had made the entire stretch a garbage dumping ground.
A walk down the ring road stretch between the Comba Subway to the Colva-Mungul road junction near the Old market would unravel the gravity of the waste dumping. In fact, tonnes of plastic and dry waste lie along the low-lying area along the ring road, right from the Comba subway to the point where the ring road joins the Colva-Old market road.
Take note, the ring road runs parallel to the river Sal and the stormwater nullahs, emptying water into the river. It is feared that the failure to lift the waste from the road stretch may result in the plastic waste flowing into the water bodies and the river.
Remarked a resident: “Just imagine if all the plastic and dry waste is washed into river Sal in the coming monsoons. The plastic may find its way into the river and the Arabian sea as Sal empties into the sea at Betul”.
Incidentally, one came across a collection of dry waste on the old market side of the ring road, but the plastic was found littered in the low-flying fields.
A close look would reveal the grim reality. If the stretch has come in handy for unscrupulous establishments and individuals to dispose of their dry waste along the ring road, the authorities, including the MMC seemed to have turned a blind eye to the menace.
While the lack of street illumination is partly blamed for the pitiable state of the situation, questions are being raised over why the ring road has still not been illuminated after the PWD bulldozed its way into building the road under what they termed as High Court Directions.
All is not well at old market nullah
MARGAO
A brief halt at the Old market stormwater nullah, near the Civil and Criminal Court building, would reveal that all is not well at the nullah.
The nullah played host to plastic and other waste, which now threatens to flow into river Sal in the first showers during the coming monsoons.
Take note, stormwater nullahs are normally de-silted ahead of the monsoons. Those in the know say that these water nullahs are de-silted, more often than not, after the onset of monsoons, defeating the very purpose of the de-silting exercise.
“We have often come across plastic waste flowing into river Sal during pre-monsoon showers. The Water Resources Department or MMC take up the de-silting work only after the pre-monsoon showers lash the city or after the onset of monsoons”, informed a local citizen.
The state of affairs of the remaining stormwater nullahs carrying sewage water into the rivulets and river Sal, is no better, with the water channels awaiting desilting by the authorities.
