MARGAO
Desilting and de-weeding of the river Sal from Nuvem-Khareband has uncovered what has been feared all along “ the city’s storm water nullahs have become channels for discharge of thousands of litres of sewage into the lifeline of Salcete.
At least five water nullahs “ from Ambaji to Khareband, could be seen from the naked eye how they empty the city’s sewage into the river. None other than Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral and his Environment Secretary Kunal, IAS were shocked and taken by surprise how sewage water finds its way into the river. Nilesh, in particular, was sad to see the state of the overflowing sewage chamber at Comba, prompting him to remark that such a thing is happening in this part of the commercial capital.
Wherever the Environment Minister visited along with his team, comprising of the Environment Secretary Kunal, Water Resources Department Chief Engineer, Pramod Badami, WRD Executive Engineer Ankush Gaonkar PWD Sewerage Executive Engineer, Joaquim Fernandes and others, they came across broken sewage chambers and the water gushing out into the storm water nullahs before entering the river.
The Minister’s visit was two-fold, one to take a look at the desilting work carried out as per the river Sal rejuvenation plan and secondly, to personally see for himself the alignment of the controversial bypass in the light of the changes mooted by the agencies associated with the Department of Environment.
Cabral, however, saw for himself how sewage water was flowing into the river via the storm water nullahs as he descended near the wholesale fish market on Tuesday morning. The Minister hopped from one place to another, from the wholesale fish market to the district hospital area to see the sewage flow via a nullah, before descending near the Mungul bridge and later at Comba along the ring road.
Visibly shaken after witnessing sewage water gushing out from a broken chamber into a nullah, Cabral remarked, “I am sad that such a major thing is happening in a place such as Comba in Margao.”
He, however, sounded optimistic that a “temporary solution” will be worked out before the North main line is commissioned either by December end this year or next year.
As the water was gushing out from a broken chamber at Comba near the ring road right under their eyes, the Environment Minister and his secretary were trying to find out from the PWD Executive Engineer Joaquim Fernandes, whether the PWD was ever aware of the broken sewage chamber and the discharge of sewage into the nullah and the river. Even as the PWD executive engineer replied saying he has assumed charge of the post only recently, both Cabral and Kunal insisted on a temporary solution to the problem, including pumping of the sewage water from the broken chamber.
“What we have seen today does not augur well for the environment. This should not happen. We have to come out with a solution, both temporary and permanent,” he told The Goan.
Reminding that the government has undertaken rejuvenation of river Sal, the Minister said discharge of sewage into the river has resulted in the deterioration of the water quality. “This entire thing has to stop. The PWD and sewerage corporation officials say they are laying a new North main line, but it will take time to commission. In the meantime, we have to find out a solution. We cannot wait till December or next year. Pumping of the sewage water is being explored to stop its discharge into the river,” he added.
After the inspection at the last point at Khareband, a team was constituted comprising of officials from the PWD and WRD, which along with the Goa Pollution Control Board officials will monitor the situation every fortnight and submit its report.
