PANAJI
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that faecal coliform contamination in the River Mandovi has consistently exceeded permissible limits at most monitoring locations over the past decade, although recent data indicates a gradual improvement in water quality.
The findings were placed before the High Court in a water quality assessment report submitted in the ongoing public interest litigation concerning pollution in the Mandovi River and Mala Lake.
After taking the report on record, the High Court directed the amicus curiae to examine the Board’s analysis and place any suggestions before the court at the next hearing in August.
The GSPCB’s analysis, as reported by The Goan on June 22, had stated that faecal coliform levels exceeded prescribed standards in more than 80 per cent of samples collected during most years between 2016 and 2026. During 2025-26, exceedances were recorded in 95.83 per cent of samples collected from eight monitoring stations along the river.
River Mandovi is classified under the SW-II category for coastal waters designated for bathing, contact water sports and commercial fishing, where the prescribed faecal coliform limit is below 100 Most Probable Number (MPN) per 100 ml.
Despite the persistent contamination, the Board reported encouraging signs of improvement. It noted that the range of faecal coliform concentrations recorded during 2025-26 was the lowest since monitoring began. Post-monsoon sampling in March 2026 recorded faecal coliform levels of 70 MPN per 100 ml at IFFI Jetty and 33 MPN per 100 ml at the Mandovi Bridge, both within the prescribed standard.
The assessment also identified a clear geographical pattern in contamination levels. Upstream stretches, including Tonca-Marcela, Amona and areas near Vedanta, consistently recorded higher faecal coliform concentrations than downstream urban locations such as Hotel Marriott, IFFI Jetty, Mandovi Bridge and the Ribandar-Chodan ferry point.
Meanwhile, in the same proceedings, the High Court granted the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGL) additional time to submit a report on sewage connections of residential properties surrounding Mala Lake that reported large fish deaths recently.
