the goan I network
MAPUSA
The largest nullah in Mapusa, which passes behind the city market, has turned into a big sewer, with sewage of most parts of the town and the market emptying into the nullah and carrying it to the Mapusa River.
Most of the restaurants/eating joints, including the fish market, in the famed Mapusa market have no soak pits and thereby merrily release their sewage water into the nullah right under the nose of civic and health authorities.
This has been going on for years with authorities turning a blind eye to the ticking sewage bomb.
During an inspection in the Mapusa market on Wednesday, a senior filaria inspector of the Urban Health Department issued a warning to all errant owners of the restaurants located on the edge of the nullah to either construct a soak pit or be ready to shut their business premises.
The inspection was a result of a letter written by Mapusa Youth to the Directorate of Health Services requesting them to have joint site inspection on sewage being discharged and diverted into Mapusa River (Tar River), thereby polluting the river.
“We have inspected restaurants on the edge of the nullah. All of them release their sewage water in the nullah. We will write to each of them asking to build a soak pit and stop releasing water into the nullah,” said Mahesh Virnodkar, senior filaria inspector attached to the Urban Health Centre, Mapusa.
“We will also write to the Mapusa Municipal Council about the serious matter,” he added.
He also pointed out that the fish market sewage water was also released into the nullah.
In the memorandum to Directorate of Health, Gaurish Keni and Pravin Asolker of the Mapusa Youth had raised the issue of pollution of Mapusa River.
In the letter, they had pointed out that the entire sewage of Mapusa town, including the shops and restaurants in the market, was discharged into the drains and indirectly into the main nullah, which empties into the Mapusa River.
“We expected the health officer to come for inspection, but instead she has sent a filaria inspector who does not know Mapusa too well,” said Keni, adding that the nullah is being covered to hide the illegalities of the hotel owners who release their sewage into it.
According to Pravin Asolker, the majority community carries out visarjan of the Ganesh during the Chaturthi in the same polluted Mapusa River and urged the authorities to stop the discharge of the sewage in the river.
Many questioned the role of the chief officer of Mapusa Municipal Council, who had promised to write to the errant restaurant owners against the discharge of sewage into the nullah.
“Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza will have to prove he is the best MLA. He should put pressure on various departments to take action against the pollution of the Mapusa River,” said Shreha Dhargalkar, a social activist.
Sudesh Tivrekar of the Mapusa Peoples Union was also present during the inspection in the Mapusa market.
