Untreated discharge from Tonca plant may have contaminated lake via St Inez nullah
PANAJI
Spillage of untreated sewage from the Tonca treatment plant into the St Inez nullah is suspected to have triggered the fish kill reported in the Campal‑Miramar lake earlier this week.
Officials said inadequately treated sewage releases methane gas, which can be fatal to aquatic life. “There is no conclusive evidence but sewage contamination of the St Inez nullah in patches is visible to the naked eye. Also the nullah is partially linked to the lake,” an official noted.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has been cleaning the lake regularly, yet the fish kill occurred.
Local councillor Leonid Furtado alleged that untreated sewage is being released into the nullah at night, eventually flowing into the lake. “They are cleaning. But the main problem is untreated sewage being released by the department,” he said.
The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of sewage treatment and monitoring in the capital and environmentalists warn that repeated contamination could devastate fragile aquatic ecosystems and pose risks to public health.
This episode comes close on the heels of a similar fish kill in the Mala lake in mid‑April, underscoring the recurring problem of sewage contamination in Panaji’s water bodies.
Authorities are expected to investigate the source of contamination and assess measures to prevent further damage, and the issue could draw the attention of the Bombay High Court which has already instituted a suo-motu PIL following the Mala lake fish-kill.
For now, the Campal‑Miramar lake remains under scrutiny and residents in the periphery are demanding long‑term solutions to protect this urban lake.
