MARGAO
In July 2021, an inspection of the storm water nullahs in the commercial capital by the Water Resources Department (WRD) had unearthed as many as 5-6 sewage discharge points carrying sewage before the contaminated water found its way into the river Sal, Salcete’s lifeline.
The ground reality seemed to have not changed for the better when another inspection of the city’s storm water nullahs was conducted a year and half later on December 6, 2022, this time by a team led by then district Collector, South Jyoti Kumari. In fact, the district collector-headed team was welcomed by a damaged sewage chamber at Comba, gushing millions of litres of sewage into a storm water drain, connected to the river Sal.
October 19, 2023: A Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB)-led inspection of the storm water nullahs on Thursday unearthed the same old story “ sewage water flowing into the storm water drains from overflowing sewage chambers as is the case in respect of the South Goa District Collectorate or sewage water discharged into the drain behind the South Goa district hospital.
That’s not all: Inspection of the storm water nullahs, right from the district Collectorate to the Old Market, Khareband area to Kudchadkar nullah, etc has revealed that sewage and waste water finds its way into the drains in violation of the laws in force.
Unlike the last two inspections in 2021 and 2022, the inspection team found the damaged sewage chamber at Comba plugged and the water diverted through another line.
At all other places, however, flow of sewage and waste water into the storm water nullahs seemed to have not abated or stopped since the last 10 months.
Take the case of the storm water drain behind the district hospital. A pipe could be seen discharging sewage and waste water into the drain. Besides, sewage water from the chambers is also finding its way into the water nullah.
The situation at the storm water nullah adjoining the South Goa District Collectorate was no better. The inspection team found a sewage chamber overflowing at the Collectorate complex, before the water found its way into the storm water drain.
An official accompanying the inspection team told The Goan there’s a likelihood that sewage and waste water from establishments and households is also flowing into the storm water nullah running parallel to the Collectorate complex wall.
They later headed to the Old Market circle to inspect the storm water nullah. An official, who was part of the inspection team when the nullahs were inspected by the district Collector in 2022, informed that nothing much has changed on the ground since the last inspection. Last time too, the district Collector had remarked that the situation along the storm water nullahs passing through Fatorda will change once the North Main Trunk Line is replaced. A GSPCB official heading the inspection team made a similar observation that sewage water flowing into the nullahs may stop once work on the Main Trunk Line is completed and the line commissioned.
Incidentally, the situation at the storm water nullahs in the Margao part of the commercial capital remains unchanged since the last inspection conducted on December 6, 2022. The inspection team, however, was informed that residents of the Azad Nagar migrant colony has applied for connections for sewage and waste water discharge, which over the years has been flowing into the Salpem lake.
The inspection team waded through the bushes to find out the action situation at the damaged Comba sewage chamber, only to find that water has stopped gushing into the adjoining nullah unlike last time. The team, however, has pointed out that the concerned authorities should plug all the discharge points along the line.
