MARGAO
The ghost of raw sewage discharged in the Colva creek by erring establishments came back to haunt the citizens, authorities after sewage found its way to the beach early Saturday morning.
Petitioner in the High Court, activist Judith Almeida has cried foul over the failure of the authorities to crack a whip against the establishments discharging sewage into the creek. She immediately sent an SOS to the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to draft officials to inspect the beach, but before the officials could descend the sewage reportedly disappeared in the sea.
The activist forwarded photographs and a video of the sewage finding its way on the beach to the GSPCB officials, including the Chairman, Member Secretary and the Environment Engineers for further action in the matter.
“I had alerted the GSPCB that the sewage will be washed into the sea by the waves. We do not know whether there will be any outcome of the inspection, but we will certainly draw the attention of the High Court at the next date of hearing,” she said.
Judith recalled that the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum had filed a PIL in the High Court way back in 2011 to preserve the purity and sanctity of the creek, once teeming with fish and now criminally polluted by the commercial establishments. “To stop the dumping and burning of garbage on the beach, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had ordered inspections, analysis of the above and groundwater. Past reports showed that not only the ground water was polluted but also some of the surrounding wells. Peep holes in the creek, storm drains are abused to release raw sewage. At times the stench from the creek is that of a sewer,” she said.
She added: “In its wisdom, the High Court had ordered desilting of the creek from time to time and sealing of all exit points. Nothing has worked till date, hence it obtained inputs and decided that the sewage treatment plant be set up as the only solution to stop environmental destruction and protect public health. Garbage dumped and burnt in the surrounding areas of the creek was meant to cease. Contractors in place are also fighting a losing battle.”
Pointing out that the STP is constructed and the pipelines laid, Judith said the government should have been sensitive enough in these times of global wars over fresh water scarcity. “The government should have applied its mind futuristically that if the treated water was pollutant-free then this water should have gone back to the hotels, large housing complexes and surrounding farmlands, thus saving precious scarce fresh water, instead it created hurdles by finding easy ways to discharge this water into the river Sal without any public knowledge. Naturally people of Benaulim raised opposition. The fishermen were worried in case for some reason the water was not treated properly and rightly so,” she added.
Judith recalled that at a joint meeting in 2020, the Director of Tourism had directed the Secretary to list out all the establishments operating without licences around the beach. The Secretary has till date not filed the list,” she added.
