PANAJI
Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Subhash Shirodkar said unless the three to four points where sewage flows in are not systematically and permanently plugged, the perennial and continuous pollution of river Sal will never be resolved even if hundreds of crores are spent.
Responding to the issues related to the pollution of the river raised by MLAs from Salcete, particularly AAP's Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva besides Goa Forward Party's Vijai Sardesai during the discussion on WRD's demands for grants, Shirodkar said he intends to convene a meeting of the MLAs involved along with PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral to deliberate on the issue and come up with a workable plan.
"Sal river has dozens of nullahs and veins flowing into it. There are three to four of these through which sewage flows into the river. Unless these are plugged the river will always be polluted," Shirodkar said, adding that plugging these points should be central to any strategy to end the river's pollution.
"It is high time we start worshipping our rivers. Goa's people must start dealing with our rivers sentimentally and stop dumping whatever rejects and waste into the nullahs and waterways which ultimately end up in the rivers," Shirodkar said.
He urged all MLAs to take the lead in building this sentiment towards the rivers and water bodies, adding that his WRD has completed the process of mapping water bodies from each and every constituency of the State.
"By August 9, a day before this session ends, we will publish the mapping of all water bodies. Also, we will print and provide each MLA a book with water bodies in your respective constituency mapped," Shirodkar said, adding that it is imperative that these water bodies are preserved and protected.
