MARGAO
With hardly any takers for the 1062 sewerage connections at stake in the commercial capital, the authorities have mooted carrot and stick approach to get the city households and business establishments connect their septic tanks to the sewerage network.
While Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and his band of councillors will move house to house to persuade households to take the subsidized sewerage connections, the Margao Municipal Council and the District Collectorate are bracing up to rein in on the erring business establishments to either take the sewage connection or face disconnection of water supply.
Addressing the media after a review meeting with officials of Sewerage Corporation, PWD (sewerage section), Additional Collector, South, Margao Municipal Council and other officials, the Margao MLA said the Sewerage Corporation is all ready to issue 1062 connections across Margao, but the department has received only 430 applications.
When the media sought to know why the very same people, who vote for him are not ready to take the connections, Digambar said that he is plan ning to move house to house in the municipal wards with the councillors to convince the people to take the connections in their own interest.
When the media questioned further whether the powers that be and the councillors are a worried lot that they would lose votes if they force the people to go for the sewerage connections, Kamat said the Margao municipality has already started cracking a whip against the business establishments for letting their sewage in the storm-water nullahs.
“People must take the subsidized connections. The Sewerage Corporation is ready to issue 1062 sewage connections in the city, but they have received only 430 applications, which is less than 50 per cent. Of the 430 applications, the corporation has released 296 connections and the balance would be released after the monsoon,” he said.
Kamat said that Additional District Collector Agnelo Fernandes has agreed to issue permission for road cutting after Ganesh Chathurti in September so that sewage connections can be done in September.
To another question, he said all the Sulabh toilets located in the city will be connected to the sewerage network immediately, beginning with the toilet at Cine Lata.
The Margao MLA pointed out that the government has taken up work on replacement of the north main line, adding that work will resume after the monsoon season. He said the government has given the nod for the replacement of the sewerage line at Comba at a cost of Rs 27 crore.
To another question, Kamat said JICA has already laid the sewage line in the heart of the town and is now ready to take the sewage from the households.
