PANAJI
The government may be planning a hanging cantilevered promenade along the Baga creek to be achieved at some time in the not too distant future, but for now, it cannot ensure that hotels and establishments along the Baga creek to not discharge sewage into it.
Investigations by The Goan have revealed that many establishments including several large hotels, are discharging sewage directly into the creek after dark, leading to residents complaining about the stench.
“Most hotels along the Arpora Road don’t have such (sewage) infrastructure and they discharge their waste in the Baga river,” a hotelier who chose to remain anonymous said.
The view was corroborated by local MLA Michael Lobo who admitted that the practice was prevalent.
“They are discharging sewage into the creek. It is taking place during the night. Several hotels empty untreated or semi-treated waste directly into the creek,” he said.
The Goan team, has witnessed a foul stench emanating from the river when this reporter visited the spot during high tide as the sea-waves push the sewage discharged by hotels and others upstream.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has promised a site inspection as well as action against hotels if found violating the sewerage norms.
“We will conduct an inspection and initiate action if they are found directly discharging sewage into the creek,” Board Chairman José Manuel Noronha said.
The problem, local hoteliers feel, is that others do not wish to spend on a small sewage treatment plant, which costs ₹6-lakh to install and around ₹10,000 per month to empty the waste for a sewage sucker truck.
“We have a very small hotel with less than 20 rooms. We have our own sewage treatment plant, which we installed for around Rs 6 lakh. We treat our sewage and water recycled thus is used in the hotel and then once in a month, we spend around Rs 10,000 on trucks to take away the leftovers of sewage treatment,” the hotelier said.
“Not everyone is willing to do this. Others simply wait for nightfall before emptying their tanks. If at that time, the tide is rising, the sewage flows upstream causing a stench for the locals,” he added.
Lobo has said that the plan is to ultimately connect the other side of the creek to the upcoming Calangute sewerage plant, and while work hasn’t begun, it is expected be completed over the next eight months.
“We will connect the Arpora side. Work hasn’t begun yet. But that is a long term solution. For now something needs to be worked out,” he said.
Arpora road, which connects Baga bridge to Arpora, has a number of hotels and restaurants and promises to be the place to go if one wants to spend some quiet time along a clean tidal creek.
The GSIDC plan to build a Rs 17-crore hanging promenade above the creek, promises to be better than the ones in Venice, if and when it sees the light of day.
But for now, residents have to contend with a stinky creek, which will only get worse as the summer nears.
