A month after its commissioning by CM, the Rs 56 cr project struggles to gain traction
The 7.5 MLD Colva Sewage Treatment Plant.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
A month has passed since Chief Minister Pramod Sawant commissioned the long-delayed 7.5 MLD Colva Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on January 16, the Opinion Poll Day.
The Rs 56 crore project promises to resolve the burning issue of rampant discharge and disposal of sewage and wastewater in the drains and nuallhs and into the Colva creek.
Has the state-of-the-art 7.5 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant brought any perceptible change on the ground since January 16? What’s the status of the number of applications received from the commercial establishments and households and the NOCs issued by the authorities to date for the release of connections?
That’s not all. Will the authorities shed light on the number of commercial establishments, including hotels and restaurants, as well as households that have applied for the sewage connections with the PWD and the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) since the last month?
Inquiries by 'The Goan' have only revealed that the STP facility has received a lukewarm response from the establishments and households to date. According to official sources, hardly any commercial establishments, including hotels, restaurants, and small establishments, have so far approached the PWD for the release of sewage connections.
Of the 32 connections, work on connecting 15 commercial establishments is currently underway or completed, while another five establishments are in the pipeline.
Sources said the response from the households for the sewage connections is equally poor, with hardly a couple of houses applying for the connections so far.
“The response is poor. Are only 32 commercial establishments operating in the Colva village, known for its iconic Colva beach? Why are these establishments not coming forward when the tourist village is facing the issue of sewage disposal?” said a PWD official in the know.
The official added: “We can understand the response from the households, many of whom might have septic tanks and soakpits for sewage and wastewater disposal. The commercial establishments should come forward for the connections, especially when the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had recently issued an order for action against establishments that have no sewage disposal facility.”
A hotelier, who has been pursuing the PWD authorities for the release of sewage connections for over a year now, told 'The Goan' that the PWD has issued them the NOC to take up the work of connecting their premises to the sewage line. “As per the rules in force, the commercial establishments are required to connect their establishment to the sewage line at their own cost. We have engaged a common contractor to execute the job of connecting our establishments,” he added.
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Despite efforts of authorities, tepid response by households
MARGAO: With the newly commissioned 7.5 MLD Colva Sewage Treatment Plant yet to become fully functional due to a lack of sewage, the million-dollar question staring at the authorities is – how to get the commercial establishments and households connected to the Sewage Treatment Plant.
The PWD and SIDCGL officials say application forms have been kept in the office of the Colva village Panchayat to facilitate the owners of commercial establishments and households in taking the connections. This is not disputed by Colva Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes, who says she has even had the forms distributed to the establishments and households through the Panchayat members.
The Colva Sarpanch told 'The Goan' on Thursday that the panchayat has been coordinating with the PWD and SIDCGL officials regarding the availability of the sewage connection forms to the establishments and households. “Some of the people have taken the forms from the Panchayat office. I have ensured that the panchayat members also distributed the forms in their wards,” Suzie informed.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered – how long will it take for the authorities to connect the commercial establishments and households in the tourist village to the 7.5 MLD STP?
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Prioritise connecting violators on GSPCB list first, says petitioner
MARGAO: Petitioner in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court, Judith Almeida, has said the authorities should display seriousness in getting the commercial establishments, to begin with, to the STP.
The Secretary of the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum, who has been waging a battle for a decade and a half, reminded that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had compiled a list of commercial establishments violating the provisions of the Water Act. “The list was submitted to the High Court a year ago. The PWD and SIDCGL should begin the exercise of connecting the commercial establishments with the establishments mentioned in the list,” she said.
Judith further reminded that the High Court had also constituted a panel of officials representing various agencies, with the Tourism Director as the nodal officer, concerning the STP. “The Tourism department will have a ready list of hotels, restaurants, etc., operating in the tourist village,” she added.
