MARGAO
The Colva creek appeared clean and waste-free, which till recently had hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons “ sewage discharge, foul odour, waste et al.
The creek at the entrance to the iconic Colva beach has got a new lease of life, courtesy Water Resources Department. That’s not all. The WRD is in the process of putting a mechanism in place wherein the creek is cleaned weekly or fortnightly spending around Rs 7-8 lakh annually by inking an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) with a contractor.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered “ how much more time will it take for the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) to commission the 7.5 MLD Colva Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) so that sewage generated by the commercial establishments is treated instead of ending up into the creek?
Even WRD officials working to set up an annual maintenance mechanism in place for the upkeep of the Colva creek concede in private that the solution to the creek water lies with the commissioning of the STP. A senior officer feared that Colva creek should not meet the Sal fate with raw sewage finding its way into the river despite the installation of two state-of-the-art STPs in Margao.
Says a WRD officer: "The Annual Maintenance Contract will no doubt help in the clean up of the Colva creek before it turns out an eyesore. But, a permanent solution to the problem lies in the commissioning of the Colva STP."
Social activist & petitioner in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court Judith Almeida echoed similar sentiments. “It’s a welcome sign if Colva creek has got a new lease of life because of the maintenance done by the agencies. When thousands of visitors throng Colva beach, the creek should be maintained clean at all times,” Judith said.
She, however, said stressed the need for the early commissioning of the Colva STP so that the commercial establishments are connected to the STP, on priority. “Tell me, how many times have the government desilted the Colva creek since the time I filed the PIL in the High Court,” Judith questioned.
She added: “Every time, the Colva creek is desilted and cleaned, the water appears clean. But, we are back to square one after some time. We have spent taxpayer’s money on the upkeep of the creek in the last decade. The government would have done a great service and saved the taxpayer’s money if the Colva STP was commissioned on priority.”
She pointed out that the High Court had appointed the Tourism Director as the nodal officer to ensure coordination amongst the agencies for the early commissioning of the STP. “I think the Tourism Director should not wait for the last minute but set in motion the process to have a meeting with the hotel owners so that establishments are all connected to the STP after its commissioning,” she added.
SIDCGL general manager Prakash Pai looking after the Colva sewage project was not available for comment. It’s unknown whether Pai and his team have launched an initiative to spread awareness amongst the people of Colva to get them to apply for the sewage connections so that the Colva STP does not end up becoming another white elephant.
Cattle add to tourist attraction at Colva
MARGAO
Tourists to the Colva beach have come across unusual visitors on the world-famous beach “ stray cattle.
Stray cattle seemed to have made the beach its home away from home and have become an added attraction for the visitors. With no initiative from the Tourism department or the animal welfare NGOs, stray cattle seemed to have become a nuisance on the beach belt.
A domestic tourist remarked that the presence of the strays dishes out the sorry state of affairs at the world-famous beach.
“Animal welfare organizations should intervene and pick up the strays and take them to the cow shelters. The cattle run the risk of consuming plastic and other waste left behind on the beach,” he said.
It is common to find cow dung strewn all around the entrance to the beach in the absence of any attempt to impound the cattle. Locals pointed out that the stray cattle have made Colva beach their second home with the Tourism department and other authorities not taking measures to impound the cattle and house them at animal shelter homes.
Work on Colva STP nearing completion, says PWD Minister
MARGAO: Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Nilesh Cabral has said the work on the Colva STP is nearing completion and will be commissioned in the near future.
Cabral, however, urged the local bodies to ensure that households as well as commercial establishments obtain the sewerage connections and connect their premises to the STP.
"Work on the Colva STP is almost over and nearing completion. The department has ordered pumps with higher capacity to meet the requirements. Once the equipment arrives and is installed, the STP will be commissioned,” he said.
The PWD Minster, however, appeared worried over people taking the sewerage connections and has appealed to the local authorities to take the sewerage connections.
When his attention was drawn to the High Court order appointing the Tourism director as the nodal officer for coordination amongst the agencies, Cabral said he would take up the matter with the Tourism Ministry to ensure that hotels and establishments connect their premises to the Colva STP.
