MARGAO
Sewage discharged into the river and water bodies has come back to haunt the authorities and citizens.
Construction of a bhandara at the river Sal near the wholesale fish market, under the river rejuvenation plan, by blocking the flow of river water, has raised a stink in the adjoining Seraulim village.
While the Water Resources Department (WRD) has blocked the flow of water in river Sal to facilitate the construction of the bhandara, the agency did not take into account the raw sewage discharge into the river from Fatorda.
It is suspected that the sewage waters from Fatorda, and the wastewater generated in the wholesale fish market, which was finding its way into the river, have now entered the adjoining village through the nullahs.
Water stagnation has been spotted along the western bypass close to Sal. And, citizens suspect that the water has found its way into the nullahs and fields, emanating foul odour.
Work on the bhandara on the river Sal near the wholesale fish market is being executed under the river Sal rejuvenation plan, between the wholesale fish market and upstream villages of Nuvem and Verna, at Rs 20 crore.
Sources, however, pointed out that WRD might not have taken into account the sewage and wastewater discharge into the river from the area as well as from the wholesale fish market when the water flow in the river was dammed to facilitate the construction.
While the work on the erection of the concrete bhandara is nearing completion, citizens pointed out that the sewage, which otherwise flows in the river, has now found its way into the adjoining fields through the nullahs.
A citizen Alison Morenas informed that the river water mixed with sewage has been found in neighbouring Seraulim through the nullahs. Alison, who runs a restaurant in Seraulim, metres away from the wholesale fish market, pointed out that the wastewater has started emanating a foul odour posing a health hazard.
When the attention of the WRD Superintending engineer Ankush Gaonkar was drawn to the claims of the citizens, the official said he would ask the junior engineer to inspect the site. He, however, conceded that the flow of water in river Sal has been stopped to facilitate the construction of the bhandara.
Gaonkar pointed out that work on the construction of the bhandara is almost complete, adding that the department will now erect a gate at the site.
Water hyacinth invades river Sal near wholesale fish market again
MARGAO: A thick carpet of water hyacinth weed has invaded the river Sal stretch along the wholesale fish market once again.
While the flow of water has been blocked near the wholesale fish market to facilitate the construction of a bhandara, the upstream course of the river is playing host to a thick carpet of the water hyacinth weed.
Locals pointed out that the thick growth of the hyacinth assumes significance given that the WRD had lifted away the weed from the river last year before the onset of the monsoon.
Stagnated sewage along railway tracks at Comba poses nuisance
MARGAO: Sewage and wastewater have accumulated and stagnated along the railway tracks at the Comba-Cine Lata Margao ring road, posing a nuisance and health hazard to the residents.
The water stagnation along the railway tracks is attributed to the blockage of the cross-drain connecting the city to the Khareband-Pedda area of the commercial capital. Due to the blockage, it is suspected that the sewage which flows from the heart of the city through the stormwater nullah does flow on the other side of the railway tracks due to blockage of the cross-drain underneath the tracks.
In the absence of free flow from the stormwater nullah, the water has stagnated along the railway tracks, emanating a foul odour.
Incidentally, while it’s now months since the South West monsoons had retreated, the flow of water into the stormwater nullah has not stopped, indicating that the water flowing in the nullah is either sewage or wastewater.
