VASCO
Villagers and farmers from Velsao on Tuesday accused mega structures in the surrounding areas of discharging sewage and contaminating the fields.
The villagers also sought the intervention of the TCP and health department to check the Sewage Treatment Plant facility of a new construction at Sancoale.
Speaking to reporters after launching the harvester machines in the fields through the Cortalim Farmers Club in the presence of Cortalim ZP Merciana Vas, former Velsao Dy Sarpanch Sylvia D’Souza said many farmers faced a lot of inconvenience due to open discharge of sewage.
“We are glad that we have got a good yield but the major issue is that the fields are being contaminated due to sewage. These fields cannot be revived because farmers fear of diseases as the fields are filled with sewage water all round the year,” said D’Souza.
“In our neighbourhood, we have Sancoale area where there are a lot of high-rise buildings having around 200-300 flats. We can imagine the amount of sewage generated in a day and all this sewage is pumped and discharged in the fields of Velsao, especially during monsoons.”
“We have approached all authorities including the health and Goa State Pollution Control board but they only visit the site and carry out an inspection but do nothing and the outcome is zero,” said D’Souza.
“We have now heard that Sancoale will soon have a mall and we fear that sewage from this mall will also be discharged into our fields and make the situation even worse for the farmers.”
D’Souza said the government must take immediate steps to have a sewage pipeline in place.
Cortalim ZP Merciana Vas said said the Cortalim Farmers Club has been active in providing all kinds of support to farmers throughout the year.
“We request people to revive the farmlands which are not cultivable and take farming as their profession and an opportunity for self employment,” said Vas.
Pale Tollem Xetkar Association President Roquezinho D’Souza said the Cortalim Farmers Club led by Cortalim MLA Anton Vas has been helping farmers by providing all kinds of farming machines free of cost.
“The MLA has also helped us desilt the Pale lake through the WRD,” he added.
