the goan I network
VALPOI
Taking serious note about Valvanti river contaminated with petroleum product which forced the Padoshe Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to be shut down for four hours on Sunday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday directed officials to submit a report in the matter.
Sawant convened a special meeting with water supply officials at the Ravindra Bhavan in Sanquelim to take stock of the situation.
Since the Padoshe WTP is a major project which supplies drinking water to several parts of North Goa, Sawant said officials have to ascertain the exact cause of contamination of the Valvanti river. He also directed officials to keep a close watch on the Valvanti river basin, especially in areas where water is pumped for the Padoshe WTP.
A water supply official said alert WTP workers noticed an oily layer in the water stored at the WTP and notified officials, who shut down the WTP. The contaminated water was then flushed out and the plant was restarted after 4 hours.
Meanwhile, PWD Minister Deepak Pawaskar also convened a special meeting in the Secretariat and sought details about the water contamination.
He also directed officials to trace the exact cause along with assistance from the Goa State Pollution Control Board and to submit report as early as possible.
When contacted, Bicholim WRD Executive Engineer Arun Naik said water samples were collected from the Valvanti river basin at many locations and were sent for analysis. “After examination, the exact cause for the contamination will come to light, but local officials have been directed to keep close watch on the Valvanti river basin for any untoward incidents regarding pollution,” said Naik.
“Polluted water should not enter into the Padoshe WTP and a close watch will be maintained to ensure that water from the Valvanti river is not contaminated,” he added.
