MAPUSA
“Since Mapusa is the capital of Bardez, all vehicles converge in Mapusa. The number of vehicles entering the town is huge. We need to admit that Mapusa is small in area. The number of vehicles entering the town is disproportionate to the size of the area,” D’Souza said.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) in its air quality monitoring report had found Mapusa as the most polluted city when it came to air quality for the second year in a row.
The board further found that all five towns of Mapusa, Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Ponda, where monitoring is taking place, had exceeded the annual limits compared to last year.
The urban development minister said finding a solution to the problem was extremely difficult and suggested innovative ways to control the pollution levels.
“Trying the Delhi model of allowing entry of odd-even vehicles in the town or banning the entry of diesel vehicles are options available, but that is not the complete solution to the problem,” he said.
He said the only consolation was that the pollution level wasn’t as bad as Delhi, but suggested the need for serious and drastic measures to control the pollution level.
D’Souza dismissed the idea that constant digging while carrying on the sewerage and other development works in town could have contributed to the sudden spurt in the pollution levels.
“Vehicular pollution has grown at an alarming rate. The percentage of pollutants in the air from vehicular emission has increased manifold, as compared to that from other sources,” D’Souza said.
Conversely, MMC Chairperson Rohan Kavlekar opined that sewerage work during the last two years was the main contributor.
He also said all sewage from the town is released in the main nullah behind the Mapusa market and that leads to pollution of Mapusa river because the nullah finally connects to the river.
“I will place the issue before the council so that a message is passed to all authorities concerned to take adequate steps to clean the air in town,” Kavlekar said.
GSUDA Vice-Chairman Sandip Falari considered that sewerage work was the major contributor to air pollution but said the worst was over.
“Dust pollution contributed the most to the bad quality of air,” Falari said.
