the goan I network
MARGAO
As the government is exploring the possibility of the resumption of work on the deadlocked Colva sewerage project, the Colva village panchayat has decided that it will not compromise on the proposal to discharge the sewage water into the sea on grounds that it will spell doom for tourism on the iconic beach.
Days after the Tourism department had called for a meeting of the authorities and stakeholders to discuss the sewage issue at Colva, village Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes said there were moves in certain government quarters that the panchayat should revolve to stop the work order issue to the Goa Sewerage Corporation to pave way for resumption of work on the sewerage project.
The sarpanch, however, asserted that the village panchayat will not compromise on any proposal that would lead to the discharge of the treated sewage water into the Arabian sea as that would only spell doom for tourism in the world famous beach belt. Secondly, he pointed out that the village panchayat would want the government to ensure that the project is meant for the Colva village, and not for the entire Salcete coastal belt. “Just imagine a situation wherein untreated sewage water by default is discharged in the sea and the entire beach belt emits sewage odour. Do you think tourists will ever come back to the world famous beach in the future,” Anthony demanded to know, saying let the government come out with an alternative plan to take care of the treated sewage water before the panchayat gives the go-ahead signal.
He demanded to know how come the government can bring the sewerage from entire coastal belt to Colva, adding that the plant proposed in the village should take care of the sewerage requirements only of the tourist village. “We have seen what has happened to the River Sal after sewage from Margao, Fatorda and neighbouring areas was connected to the Sirvodem sewerage treatment plant. Discharge of untreated sewage water has devastated the River Sal, once the lifeline of Salcete. We don’t want a similar situation in Colva,” he added.
The Colva gram sabha has been consistently opposing the completion and commission of the sewerage treatment plant being set up at the Colva football grounds on grounds that the project has a provision to discharge the treated sewage water into the sea. In fact, gram sabha members had opposed the project tooth and nail fearing that the provisions of discharging the sewage water in the sea would spell doom for tourism in Colva, more so when the Union government has declared Colva as an iconic beach.
Proposed during the tenure of former Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva, the incumbent MLA Churchill Alemao has made a common cause with the villagers opposing the project. Churchill has time and again insisted that the project would spell doom for the tourist village if the treated water is discharged into the Arabian sea.
Acting on a host of gram sabha resolutions, the Colva panchayat had finally issued the stop work order on the Sewage Corporation to stop all work on the project.
