Says efforts of all depts involved needed to keep towns, villages clean
File photo of the Kudchadkar storm water nullah carrying sewage.
MARGAO
As the High Court disposed off the 2021 Public Interest Litigation on Salpem lake pollution, the Court has urged the Sewage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd to take expeditious steps for the installation of the vacuum sewer system in the low-lying areas of commercial capital to stop discharge of sewage into the storm water nullah.
The SIDCGL, however, has said the Corporation would require cooperation of the Municipal Council to implement the vacuum sewer system for the low-lying areas of the city as it will require land admeasuring 100 square metres to install the system.
On the other hand, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has submitted to the Court it will comply to the direction not to issue any consent to establish and/or consent to operate without prior verification of proper sewage disposal either through connection to the sewer line or a soak pit.
The GSPCB has further agreed to conduct bi-annual tests of the treated discharge from the sewage treatment plants located at Navelim.
While disposing of the PIL filed by Navelim citizen Antonio Alvares, the High Court has set time lines for agencies such as the Margao Municipal Council, SIDCGL, Goa State Pollution Control Board, and the Navelim Panchayat to comply with the directions.
The SIDCGL has also made a statement before the High Court that the agency would offer sewerage connections to the 260 cases before them within a period of three months, giving an undertaking to the Court that the process will be completed by December 31, 2025.
The MMC drew attention of the Court that the Civic body had issued around 317 notices, including 163 notices issued to the commercial establishments. He, however, said the 144 notices issued to old residential structures could not be taken to the logical conclusion since the SIDCGL was in the process of providing sewerage connections to these structures.
Incidentally, the Municipal counsel also agreed to the note submitted by the Amicus Curiae that the Municipal Council shall inspect, identify and take appropriate action as regards the flow in the nullah near Kudchadkar Hospital. The Counsel agreed that out of total 154 structures, about 70 structures fall within this area, the cause for the sewerage in this area.
The Municipal Council further submitted to the Court that it is duty-bound to inspect and check sewerage discharge throughout its jurisdiction from time to time, and to notify the effects to the SIDCGL for further action.
Call to keep towns,
villages clean
While disposing of the Salpem lake PIL, the High Court has observed that it is not only function of one body but a concerted effort on part of all the departments involved to keep the towns and villages clean.
“We expect the departments to cooperate with each other and work towards a clean city comprising of clean panchayats”, the High Court observed while disposing of the PIL.
“Since we have found that all the authorities have been working in a concerted manner, and we have passed orders to that effect and even today we received cooperation from the different Authorities, be it the PWD or the Corporation as well as the Municipal Council, who must manage the show with concerted efforts to keep the towns and villages clean”, the Court further observed.
