MARGAO
AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas on Monday rooted with the government for the introduction of the Geobag technology to plug the discharge of raw sewage by the stormwater nullahs into river Sal.
The Benaulim MLA discussed the technology with Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Subhash Shirodkar, who is believed to have maintained that the Geobag technology can be adopted as a pilot project to stop the raw sewage discharge into Sal.
Venzy called on the WRD Minister on Monday morning and discussed the burning issue of pollution of river Sal by the stormwater nullahs. WRD Chief Engineer P Badami and Superintending Engineer Ankush Gaonkar later joined the legislators for further discussions on the issue.
The meeting centred on the plugging of the discharge of raw sewage in the river Sal and discussed the Geobag technology mooted by the Benaulim MLA as a means to stop the flow of sewage into river Sal. Venzy later stated that the WRD Minister has given the go-ahead for the implementation of the Geobag technology along the discharge points at the river Sal.
Sources pointed out that the WRD Minister is of the opinion that there is no harm in trying the Geobag technology if that helps in arresting the flow of raw sewage into the river Sal.
Given that work on the North Main trunk sewerage line is not expected to be commissioned in the immediate future, the Minister has given his nod for the Geobag technology for implementation at the river Sal.
Shirodkar requested the Benaulim MLA to submit details of the Geobag technology to the WRD officials for a study.
"As per the MLA’s instructions, the Geobag technology will be implemented at one of the stormwater nullahs carrying raw sewage in the river Sal. If the technology helps to address the issue of river Sal pollution, the same will be extended at the remaining nullah,” a WRD official informed.
Contamination of river Sal has taken the centre stage since the last month after the Benaulim MLA took on PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, who also holds the Environment portfolio, squarely blaming him and the Pollution Control Board and the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa behind the river pollution.
After the uproar, a host of high-level meetings have taken place to find a solution and stop the pollution. While the GSPCB officials inspected Sal and identified the nullahs carrying the raw sewage into the river, South Goa Collector Jyoti Kumari inspected nullahs earlier this month to find a solution to the burning issue.
