The quality of the water of River Sal is by far the worst among rivers in Goa with levels of faecal coliform as measured at Khareband in Margao is around five times higher than that of other rivers in Goa and around 500 times the permissible limits.
PANAJI
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has recorded faecal coliform levels in River Sal at Khareband in Margao at 54,000 MPN/100 mL during the months of September, November, December 2016, January and February 2017. This is more than 500 times the Central Pollution Control Board permissible limits of 100 MPN/100 mL for rivers.
What’s even more significant is the water quality as measured in other locations along the same river is much better, though above the limits.
For instance the faecal coliform levels in the same River Sal as measured at Orlim bridge over the course of the year 2016-17 is in the range of 130-7900 MPN/100 mL and between 790-11,000 at Panzorconim Cuncolim while at Mobor it is between 230-13,000 MPN/100 mL.
Faecal coliform is a bacterial that owes its origin in the digestive system of humans and other mammals and is an indicator of the amount of sewage flowing in the river and its pollution levels.
Levels of faecal coliform in other rivers has exceeded the limits but is within the range of 100-8,000 MPN/100 mL throughout making the situation at River Sal with a count of 54,000 all the more significant.
Despite adverse reports on water pollution levels, little has been done to remedy the situation with local bodies failing to rein in open defecation as well as release of untreated sewage directly in the river.
