MARGAO
Days after Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas claimed there’s no stop to discharge of raw sewage from the Margao STP plant into the river Sal, the Sewage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) and the PWD on Monday asserted that only treated sewage water is released in the river Sal after a treatment process.
The SIDCGL and the PWD took the media inside the STP complex at Sirvodem to explain the sewage treatment process at the two STPs, the 20 MLD plant and the 6.75MLD plant treating sewage from Margao and part of Navelim.
SIDCGL general manager Swapnil Desai informed that the effluent is being treated by the process of aeration and chlorination. “In the aeration process, we are pumping oxygen, so that when the treated water comes in contact with the water at the nallah, the living organism survives. The chlorination process helps to kill the bacteria before the water is released in the nallah,” he said.
PWD Executive Engineer, Joaquim D’Souza informed that only treated sewage water is being discharged by the two plants located at Sirvodem-Margao. “Both the plants are in operation. This is a continuous process. There’s a fixed cycle in place and the treated water is being discharged out as per the cycle,” he said.
When his attention was drawn to the claims made by the Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas that raw sewage was left out from the STP in November, Joaquim said all the issues have been resolved by interconnecting the two STP plants. “Right now the STPs are also getting more sewage. Work is underway to put the underground line in place,” he said.
While conceding that entire Margao city is not connected to the sewerage network, the PWD official said, “Around 80 per cent of Margao and 90 per cent of Fatorda is connected to the underground line.”
He said the SIDCGL is releasing sewage connections to the households in the Khareband area, adding that connections are being released where the line is laid.
To a question, Joaquim said the treated water discharged from the STP is being tested every day to check whether the treated water conforms to the permissible limits.
