MARGAO
On June 16, 2022, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Nilesh Cabral expressed concern over the under-utilization of the underground sewerage network and the sewerage treatment plants, running into crores of rupees.
The Minister was at the STP complex at Sirvodem-Margao on June 16 when he made an obvious reference to the two under-utilized state-of-the-art sewerage treatment plants for want of raw sewage with the city’s establishments and the households yet to be connected to the underground network.
Around 20 days down the lane, and Cabral should be a worried lot, but for a different reason “ the 20 MLD and 6.75 MLD sewage plants are suddenly running to their capacity.
For, while the number of sewage connections from the households and business establishments has almost remained the same, what is believed to have brought about a sudden change at the two STPs is the heavy rainfall.
Since the monsoons have intensified over the last week, the amount of sewage water received by the two STPs has increased manifold. And, officials in the know have attributed the changing situation to rainwater entering the underground line at several places, increasing the flow of sewage mixed with water at the two STPs.
If officials are to be believed, the 20 MLD state-of-the-art plant, commissioned by former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar around half a decade ago, has been treating around 6 MLD sewage on an average per day, while the second 6.75 MLD plant had been reportedly handling around 2 MLD sewage on an average.
With monsoon with all its fury, these two plants are suddenly running close to their full capacity. It is learnt that the 20 MLD plant has been receiving 17-18 MLD sewage on an average in the last couple of days, while the 6.75 MLD is presently treating around 4-4.5 MLD of sewage.
The moot questions that remain unanswered and may come to stare at the PWD Minister are simple “ how come the sewage flow into the two STPs has increased coinciding with the heavy downpour and what are the reasons behind the rampant seepage of rainwater into the underground sewerage network.
An official in the know pointed out that the increased flow in the sewage at the STPs only goes to show that the underground sewage line needs upkeep and maintenance.
“The PWD Minister should order a probe into the sewerage network, to unearth the reasons behind the rainwater seepage into the underground line and fix responsibility,” the official said.
He added: “Minister Cabral was on record that he feels ashamed when a modern state like Goa has only around 17-18 per cent sewerage connection against the national average of 35 per cent. Just imagine a situation what would be the state of the two Margao STPs during monsoons if they are almost running to capacity with just 17-18 per cent sewerage connections.”
What’s important to note is that the city’s underground line was laid by the PWD, Sewerage & Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa and under JICA. The blame game has already started over which of these departments has been responsible for laying the underground line in the commercial capital.
Overflowing sewage chambers in Margao come to haunt officials
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Sewage chambers resembling water fountains have come to haunt officials of the Sewerage & Infrastructure Development Corporation and the PWD again.
If an overflowing sewage chamber resembled a water fountain on the Margao-Navelim road on Monday, several other chambers along the stretch of the Aquem ring road were found overflowing on Tuesday.
Take note, the underground sewage line, be it at Colmorod and the ring road, is carrying sewage and the overflowing water is not just rainwater, but water mixed with sewage.
An official conceded that rainwater has found its way into the underground network once again at many places in the Margao area of the city.
“We do not know the exact reason behind the seepage of rain waters. Maybe the chambers are submerged under water in the low-lying areas or the rainwater is entering into the underground line through the joints,” an official said.
He added: “We had last year conducted testing to find out blockages, if any, in the underground line. We will resume the process after the rains subside.”
Incidentally, the sewage chamber on the Margao-Navelim road at Colmorod was found overflowing in the last monsoons. Sadly, the same chamber is back in the news with sewage and rainwater overflowing for the past two days.
