MARGAO
How many more years the government and its agencies will need to complete the ambitious Margao sewerage project and get the city households and commercial establishments connected to the underground line?
This question assumes significance as the people on Thursday observed yet another anniversary of Goa Statehood Day. For, exactly 24 years ago on Goa Statehood Day in 2000, then Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha had inaugurated the city’s 7.5MLD Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) at Sirvodem, marking the commissioning of Margao’s ambitious project, which was set in motion in the mid-80’s.
The Sirvodem complex on the outskirts of the city, now plays host to two STP plans, a 20MLD plant and another 6.75MLD Plant. The PWD has now proposed building another major STP plan at the complex.
The question that is seeking answers is when exactly will the thousands of households and commercial establishments dotting across the commercial capital be connected to the sewerage treatment plant and save the water bodies and the adjoining river Sal from sewage contamination?
Consider this. While it’s now 24 years since former CM Francisco Sardinha inaugurated the 7.5MLD STP at Sirvodem, the city is still plagued by sewage issues with untreated sewage finding its way into the city drains and storm water nallahs before entering the river Sal.
In fact, the Goa State Pollution Control Board had earlier this week sealed around three hotels and establishments for discharging their waste water into the drains. That’s not all. A survey conducted by the Margao Municipal Council earlier this year had come out with startling figures stating that over 200 households and commercial establishments were involved in the rampant discharge of sewage and wastewater into the drains.
Incidentally, ex-PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral was on record during his visit to the commercial capital a year ago that though the government has invested hundreds of crores of rupees on laying the underground sewerage network in Margao, there’s rampant discharge of sewage water into the drains and water bodies with households and commercial establishments still hesitating to go for the sewage connections.
When 'The Goan' called up the Managing Director of Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) to shed light on the status of the Margao sewage project, more so when the delay in the completion of the work on the North Main trunk line has resulted in sewage finding its way into the river Sal, N Parsekar asserted that the work on the North Main Trunk line is completed in all respects.
He said the North Main Trunk line has been commissioned, but hastened to add that a new line is being laid along the Presentation School road, which will then ensure completion of the project in the Fatorda area of the commercial capital.
Parsekar, however, said that the question of connecting the households and the commercial establishments to the underground sewerage line falls in the domain of the PWD. “When the infrastructure of the underground line is put in place, the next question that needs to be addressed is to get the households and the commercial establishments connected to the line,” he agreed.
Navelim villager Antonio Alvares had knocked on the doors of the High Court over a year ago as sewage and wastewater from Margao was finding its way into the picturesque Salpem lake, contaminating the water body, indicating that though Margao plays host to two sewerage treatment plants at Sirvodem, sewage continues to flow into the water bodies and the river Sal.
