MARGAO
It was June 8, 2021 when Minister Nilesh Cabral in his capacity as the State’s Environment Minister hopped from one place to another along the river Sal passing through the commercial capital.
A visibly shaken Cabral remarked after coming across the storm water nullahs discharging millions of litres of untreated sewage water into the river Sal that all isn’t well for the city and the environment.
Aware that he does not preside over the affairs of the PWD, Cabral and his Environment Secretary Kunal had to only speak a solution to stop the sewage flowing into the river and expedite commissioning of the city’s sewerage north main line.
Almost a year down the line, the ground reality remains unchanged in the commercial capital, with neither the PWD nor the Pollution Control Board in a position to stop the storm water nullahs emptying raw sewage into the river day in and out. There’s, however, a change of guard post-2022 Assembly polls, with Cabral now holding the reigns of the PWD department.
Even PWD officials in private pin hopes on the new PWD Minister to get the contractors complete all the ongoing works, including work on the north main line, foundation stone for which was laid by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar on January 12, 2018.
Sadly, work on the north main line project has been dragging on for the last four years, with no sign of the early completion of the project, which would help stop all the sewage water from going into the storm water nullahs connected to the river Sal.
In fact, the new PWD Minister has a task cut out if Madgavkars and Fatordekars can hope to get relief from the burning issue of sewage disposal into the storm water nullahs. “Cabral is no stranger to Margao’s sewage issue. He had seen for himself last year how the sewage flow via the storm water nullahs is devastating the river Sal and the environment,” an official said.
The official recalled: “During the inspection of the storm water nullah at Comba, Cabral was shocked to learn that the PWD officials had no knowledge that broken and damaged sewage chamber was resulting in the water finding its way into the storm water nullah. Cabral is now presiding the affairs of the PWD and he has the power to take things to its logical conclusion.”
A PWD engineer told The Goan that the new PWD Minister should conduct an audit of the sewerage project in Margao, the work being executed by the contractors, mostly from outside the State and the delay by the PWD in releasing the sewage connections.
Incidentally, a PWD, sewerage official had told the media a week ago that the north main sewerage line will be part-commissioned by May, throwing up questions why the project has taken over four years for its completion.
WILL MINISTER SEEK REPORT OVER DELAY IN COMMISSIONING OF NORTH MAIN LINE?
MARGAO: Will the new PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral seek report from the PWD as well as the Sewerage & Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa over the delay in the commissioning of the city’s north main sewage line till date?
Local PWD officials in private say the new PWD Minister set a deadline for the completion of the project, which would give instant relief to the rampant discharge of sewage into the river Sal.
Former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar on January 12, 2018 had launched sewerage works to the tune of Rs 93 crore for the replacement of the dilapidated Margao’s North main sewerage line.
The first phase of the work was scheduled to be taken up along the five-km stretch, from the South district hospital under construction to the Sewerage treatment plant at Sirvodem.
Parrikar had also announced that the government will spend an additional Rs 25 crore to replace and lay a new sewerage line from Arlem junction to the Presentation Convent in the second phase.
