Photo caption:
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on an inspection tour of River Sal along with Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, MLAs Caitu Silva and Benjamin D’Silva, Captain of Ports James Braganza and others. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
It was a dream come true for local MLA and Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado as work on desilting of Sal to restore the river to its pristine glory got underway on Tuesday with the laying of foundation stone at the hands of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
However, raw sewage continues to haunt the local residents as there's no stoppage to the continuous discharge which finding its way from Margao city. In fact, right from the Chief Minister and the Fisheries Minister, besides Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva and the local residents, everyone felt the exercise may not bring the desired result if sewage discharge points into River Sal are not stopped on top priority.
Local Salcete MLAs “ Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva and his Velim counterpart Benjamin D’Silva “ also called for a comprehensive plan to desilt the entire course of the river for effective results.
Taking cognizance of the sentiments of the MLAs and the residents, the Chief Minister said the government will certainly take up the balance desilting work phase-wise so that the river is not only restored to its past glory, but the water channel is used to promote tourism and water sports. “I appeal to the residents to take up with their MLAs to press the government to take the desilting work to its logical conclusion," Parsekar said.
In fact, in a bid to tide over the problem of raw sewage discharge into the River Sal at the Kudchadkar hospital and a couple of points at Sirvodem-Khareband stretch, the Chief Minister along with the Fisheries Minister visited the sewage treatment plant site to check the progress of work on the 20 MLD and 7 MLD STPs under construction at Sirvodem.
“I agree that desilting alone will not solve the problem of river contamination if sewage flows into the river. After visiting the STP plant, I have been told that the new STPs will be commissioned in March or before the monsoons. These two STPs will take care of the sewage flow into the river," Parsekar later told the gathering.
In his address, Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado thanked the government for taking up the desilting work and fulfilling the election promise made to the people of Navelim in getting Sal desilted. “The river will be cleaned up only if the sewage flow is stopped forthwith. I hope the new STP plants will be commissioned at the earliest," Avertano said.
Benaulim MLA and his Velim counterpart Benjamin D’Silva appealed to the Chief Minister to make the entire river pollution free. “The desilting work should be taken up all along the river course," they said, while complimenting the government for taking up the long delayed work.
Residents of Navelim and Telaulim, Cruz and Peter Coutinho respectively expressed their happiness that work on the River Sal desilting is taking place finally. They recalled how the river was used by the residents for bathing, to catch fish and to produce salt in and around Telaulim. “Avertano has fulfilled his election promise, but the sewage water flowing into the river should be stopped forthwith," they said, while making a fervent plea to the PWD not to discharge water from the STP until it is treated as per norms.
Captain of Ports Capt James Braganza and his senior hydrographic surveyor Sagar Rai informed that the work included desilting and trimming of mangroves all along the six km course, from Khareband bridge to Telaulim-Varca bridge, costing Rs 3.76 crore. The work is expected to be completed within 120 days.
Photo caption:
The thick carpet of water hyacinth weed that prevented navigation of Chief Minister’s speed boat to the Khareband bridge during the River Sal inspection. Santosh Mirajkar
River course is like migrant slum: CM
MARGAO: His predecessor and now Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had once termed the River Sal as a water nullah when he inspected the river way back in 2012 after returning to power after the Assembly election.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday said he has never seen a “worse” river like that of River Sal in his life. After inspecting the river in a speed boat accompanied by Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, and MLAs Caitu Silva and Benjamin Silva, besides Captain of Ports Capt James Braganza and hydrographic surveyor Sagar Rai, the Chief Minster said the condition of river is like a migrant slum along the course. “I have never seen such a worse river. At some places, it resembles like a hutment slum," Parsekar said.
In fact, the speed boat carrying the Chief Minister and the delegation, which left from Sinquetim-Navelim point, could not reach the Khareband bridge and were forced to return midway through the river course. The reason being that a thick carpet of the water hyacinth weed came in the way of the navigation, leaving the inspection team no option but to return to Sinquetim.
The Chief Minister also wondered why River Sal was not taken up for desilting by the previous government when most of the time not only the Chief Ministers, but half the State Cabinet, hailed from Salcete.
