THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI:
The Secretary Environment, who heads the River Rejuvenation Committee, has sought a detailed report from the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) on the status of steps initiated to disconnect the direct discharge of raw sewage into river or nalhas/creeks as a pollution abatement measure of Mandovi river.
During the River Rejuvenation meeting held earlier this month, the Chairman reviewed the on-site status in respect of the intervention along the Mandovi river stretch related to disconnection of the direct discharge into the rivers or drains or creeks.
The officials of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) informed that the work is being implemented under Smart City Mission by IPSCDL.
“As such, the Chairman directed the CCP to seek the current status from the IPSCDL and communicate it to the Pollution Control Board,” reads the minutes of the meeting.
Directions were also issued to the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to seek the status update from CCP and IPSCDL, every three months.
Several establishments and residential premises located along the bank of St Inez creek are involved in direct discharge of raw sewage into the creek water thus polluting it.
The IPSCDL has undertaken cleaning and desilting of St Inez Creek, that flows into the Mandovi river. This initiative involves various components to revitalise the 3.5 km stretch of the creek.
The project’s broad scope included: Desilting and deepening St Inez creek along its 3.5-kilometer length; strengthening the creek’s side banks with composite walls to prevent collapse, erosion, encroachment, and to improve the waterway from Taleigao Camrabhat to Panjim, D B Marg.
However, the project does not speak about disconnecting the sewage lines that release direct waste into water.
