MAPUSA
While stressing that completion of underground power cabling work and providing sewerage connections was top on his agenda, Deputy Speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza on Monday said reduction of water in wells in Camarkazan had no connection with the trial run of sewerage treatment plant (STP) in Mapusa.
D’Souza also said that hot-mixing of the main road from the Milagres Church to the taxi-stand is expected to be taken up before the approaching monsoon.
“The focus is completion of underground power cabling and sewerage connection in Mapusa. The department has already started testing of the sewerage treatment plant at Camarkazan. We are waiting for the official report. The drying of wells in Camarkazan and Acoi has nothing to do with the trial run of the sewerage treatment plant. The chambers of these areas are yet to be connected to the plant. In the first phase, sewerage connections are being provided only to residents of Gaunsa-vaddo and Angod. So, I don’t know how the wells are going dry if the area (Camarkazan and Acoi) is not connected,” D’Souza said.
The Mapusa MLA was speaking after inaugurating hotmixing of internal roads in Khorlim, Mapusa. Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council, Priya Mishal and former chairperson Shubanghi Vaigankar were also present.
Continuing, D’Souza said department officials have also confirmed that the chambers of Camarkazan and Acoi were yet to be connected to the STP and therefore the drying of wells has nothing to do with the trial run of the STP.
Last week, residents of Camarkazan and Acoi complained that water from several wells in their area had suddenly gone down and blamed it on the trial run of the STP. They also said that the activity will have adverse effects on the ground water in the area.
After listening to the grievances of the locals, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira arranged to stop the trial run of the STP and called a meeting with the department officials to discuss the matter.
The Mapusa MLA informed that hot-mixing of the main road from Milagres church to taxi-stand has been held up due to underground cabling work that was going on in the area.
“This hotmixing work has been pending for the last two years. We were waiting for the underground cabling work to finish first so that the newly reinstated road will not be dug up again. We are trying to get it done before the monsoon,” he said.
