MARGAO
In a major development on the burning sewerage issue plaguing the tourist village of Colva, dozens of hotels, restaurants and commercial establishments dotting the village have received directions from the Goa State Pollution Control Board to connect their establishments to the 7.5MLD sewage treatment plant.
Including in the list of hotels and restaurants located in the tourist village is the Colva Residency owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
Take note, outgoing Public Works Department Minister Nilesh Cabral had recently pointed out that though the 7.5MLD sewage treatment plant is complete in all respects and ready for commissioning, delay on the part of the hotels, restaurants and business establishments in the tourist village has further delayed the commissioning of the plant.
A glance at the GSPCB letter addressed to the 43 hotels, restaurants and business establishment by Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro showed that the Board has issued clear directions to the owners to make applications to the Sewage Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (SIDCGL) with a plea to issue connections to the sewer line of the 7.5 MLD STP at Colva for onward treatment of sewage generate within the unit premises.
In fact, the GSPCB Member Secretary has directed the owners to submit compliance report on the directions within seven days.
Besides the manager of the Colva Residency, owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, most of the remaining units include the restaurants and hotels doing business in the premises of the tourist complex located near the Colva beach.
The GSPCB directions assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the complaints that sewage and waste water generated in the hotels, restaurants and business establishments in the tourist village finds its way into the Colva creek, contaminating the water.
The GSPCB directions further assumes significance given that the High Court is scheduled to consider the status report filed by the SIDCGL and the Colva panchayat at the next date of hearing on December 12, 2023. On this date of hearing, the SIDCGL has been directed to file its final compliance report before the High Court.
The government had laid the foundation stone for the 7.5MLD Colva STP around seven years ago after the issue of discharge of raw sewage and waste water by the business establishments in the Colva creek came under the scanner of the High Court. Sadly, though the plant was ready in all respects and ready for part commissioning for one of the four zones, the plant could not be put in operation for want of sewage connections.
Activist says directions should have been issued long ago
MARGAO: Better late than never, so goes the old age saying. Even as the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued directions to the hotels, restaurants and business establishments in the tourist village of Colva to get connected to the STP immediately, Colva-based social activist Judith Almeida said the GSPCB directions ought to have been issued by the Board long ago.
Waging a sustained battle to stop the sewage and waste water from the hotels, restaurants and business establishments from flowing into the drains and creeks, contaminating the water, Judith had knocked the doors of the High Court through the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the year 2011 with a plea to stop the flow of sewage from the business establishments in the tourist village into the Colva creek.
“The GSPCB should have initiated the process of getting the stakeholders connect their business establishments to the Colva STP long ago when the PWD was on record saying the STP is ready for commissioning in all respects. This would have saved much time and helped to get the establishments connected to the STP,” she said.
She added: “Now, that the GSPCB has issued the directions to the hotels, resorts and restaurants, we only hope that the directions are not confined to the records of the Board, but are taken to its logical conclusion at the earliest and save the water bodies and the Colva creek from being devastated by sewage waters.”
