MARGAO
With time running out for the authorities with the issue of sewage disposal in the city’s drains and gutters under the High Court scanner, the Margao Municipal Council has finally decided to crack a whip against the erring owners of business establishments and residential houses.
In a public notice, the Margao Municipal Council has served an ultimatum of 15 days on all the residential houses, buildings, commercial establishments like hotels, restaurant and other business premises to stop their discharge of sewage in the storm water drain by connecting their sewage to underground sewerage network through the PWD Div XXI or any other appropriate methods.
The MMC has warned of drastic steps, including imposing a penalty of up to Rs 5,000 on such residential houses, buildings, commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants and other business premises if any such discharge/ release of raw sewage in the storm water drain is noticed, found by the civic body.
Saying that the erring establishments and households will be liable for prosecution under the provision of The Goa Municipalities Act 1968 & The Environmental Protection Act 1986, the MMC has further warned that water connection of the erring premises will be further disconnected.
“It is observed that some residential houses, buildings, commercial establishments like hotels, restaurants and other business premises are diverting/ discharging/ releasing their raw sewage in the storm water drain. Such raw sewage from the storm water is then found further flowing in the nallahs and other water bodies,” the notice stated.
It added: “Such release/ discharge of raw sewage in the storm water drain is leading to pollution and contamination of the nearby water bodies and endangering aquatic life and also has become an environmental threat, public nuisance and health hazard as such it further violates the provision of The Goa Municipalities Act 1968 & The Environmental Protection Act 1986.”
Saying the High Court has taken cognizance of the said matter in PIL. WP 22/21 and direction have been issued to the Margao Municipal Council to initiate appropriate action to curb release/ discharge of raw sewage in the storm water drain, the MMC pointed out that the civic body has already issued show cause notices to some of the erring residential houses, buildings, commercial established like hotels, restaurants and other business premises to stop release/ discharge of raw sewage in the storm water drain.
In the PIL filed by a resident of Navelim, Antonio Alvares, wherein he has pointed out that sewage disposal in the city drains has devastated the water bodies in neighbouring Navelim, the High Court has given four week time to the authorities, including the MMC, Goa State Pollution Control Board and the PWD to work out a solution to the issue.
