VASCO
The Dabolim airport was on Tuesday caught on the wrong foot while discharging untreated sewage in the natural spring at Assoi Dongri during a joint inspection by Chicalim panchayat, Goa State Pollution Contol Board (GSPCB) and health authorities.
Chicalim sarpanch Kamla Prasad Yadav has demanded strict action against the airport for contamination of the natural spring due to the sewage discharge.
"We have been receiving complaints from the locals for the last four years that the natural spring in the area is being contaminated due to the discharge of sewage by the airport, and we wrote to them and complained as well, but the airport said that the sewage was of the navy and washed their hands."
"Today when we carried out a joint site inspection, we witnessed the airport directly discharging raw and untreated sewage into the stream, and we shot a video. If the airport sewage treatment plant is not functioning, they must get it repaired or catch hold of the person given the Annual Maintenance Contract of the plant, but they must not discharge sewage into the natural spring," the Chicalim sarpanch said.
Assoi Dongri panch Shailesh Mayekar said that every panch of the ward had been complaining about the airport over the years.
Chicalim panchayat secretary Amrit Sakhalkar said that a joint inspection was carried out after a resident filed a written complaint against the airport.
"During the joint inspection, we scanned various outlets and found that untreated sewage was being discharged. We will seek the GSPCB report. GSPCB has already collected the samples of the sewage and we will place the report in the body meeting for further action. The airport sewage treatment plant (STP) is not equipped with the required capacity. Human excreta is also not being treated here. We have to wait for the GSPCB report," said Sakhalkar.
