MARGAO
An overflowing sewage chamber just meters behind the Sirvodem sewage plant, where work on as many as two state-of-the-art STPs worth over Rs 30 crore has been dragging on for months and years, once again brought to the fore that all is not well either with the main sewerage line or with the sewerage treatment plant facility.
While the photograph of the overflowing chamber was the subject of discussion on social media sites and among local residents of Sirvodem over the weekend, the PWD attributed the situation to the 12-km-long damaged north main line, connecting the sewerage project from Arlem to the Sirvodem plant.
Assistant Engineer, Pai told The Goan that the problem of overflowing sewage chambers will be overcome once the Sewerage Corporation of Goa undertakes rehabilitation and replacement of the damaged north main line from Arlem to Sirvodem. “The PWD has already prepared estimates for the rehabilitation and replacement line at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore,” Pai said.
While sources in the know said that disruption of pumping operations at the existing 7.5 MLD plant could be the probable reason for the overflowing sewage chamber, Pai said that two out of the four pumps are presently in
running condition at the existing STP.
Incidentally, TCP Minister and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said he has taken up with the Parrikar-led government the need to take up the north main sewerage line passing through his constituency on a priority basis. “Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has agreed to make available funds for the north main sewerage line. I will pursue the project with the government so that the line is rehabilitated and replaced at the earliest,” Sardesai told The Goan.
Interestingly, sources in the PWD informed that the government has set deadline around mid-way to commission the STP plants undertaken by JICA and by the Goa Sewerage Corporation. The two STPs costing over Rs 30 crore could not be commissioned last year for want of electrical connection, even though sources in the know said the contractor had delayed the commissioning since the government reportedly defaulted in the payment of his part money for executing the work.
A month ago, PWD officials had field an undertaking in the High Court in a Public Interest Litigation by social activist Savio Dias that the government would commission one of the two STPs by May end.
With the new government headed by Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar taking over the reigns of office and with TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai insisting on the rehabilitation of the damaged North main line, PWD officials now see a ray of hope in the early commissioning of the STPs as well as the rehabilitation of the damaged north main line.
