District hospital MS Dr Rajendra Borkar tells the inspection team that the hospital has applied for a sewage connection with the PWD.
Makeshift toilets and illegal hutments greeted the inspection team at Kharelem-Khareband during Wednesday’s inspection.
A citizens’ delegation submits a plea to MMC Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar to plug sewage discharge at Kharelem and other hotspots.
Preliminary observations suggested that the contamination may be originating from densely populated basti settlements that have sprung up along or even encroached upon the nullah. These developments have raised serious concerns about unregulated habitation and the direct discharge of untreated sewage into the drainage system, which ultimately feeds into the River Sal.
A visibly agitated Dixon Vaz warned that residents from the coastal belt would not tolerate continued pollution of the river due to unchecked sewage discharge. He alleged that illegal hutments and migrant settlements were significantly contributing to the degradation of water quality.
Participants in the inspection demanded immediate intervention, urging authorities to physically open and trace sections of the nullah to identify the exact sources of raw sewage discharge. They stressed that accountability and enforcement are critical to preventing further environmental damage.
The findings from both locations have once again underscored the urgent need for coordinated action by civic bodies, stricter monitoring, and the strengthening of sewage infrastructure to address the long-standing issue of wastewater mismanagement in Margao.
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‘This cannot continue’: Citizens push Margao council on Sal rejuvenation
MARGAO: Following an inspection that revealed several perennial nullahs discharging sewage into the River Sal, a delegation of concerned citizens from the coastal belt met Margao Municipal Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar, pressing for urgent intervention to address the growing pollution crisis.
The delegation, which included Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz, Benaulim Block Congress president Keith Gracias, Congress leader Solan Furtado, and other members, urged the Margao Municipal Council to take immediate steps to halt the discharge of sewage and effluents into the river.
Highlighting key concerns, the delegation drew attention to the Kharelem storm water nullah, where illegal hutments have reportedly mushroomed along the channel. According to them, these encroachments are directly contributing to the flow of untreated sewage and wastewater into the river system.
The members questioned how such unauthorised structures were allowed to come up and further raised doubts over the provision of basic utilities, particularly water connections, to these settlements.
Speaking after the meeting, Dixon Vaz stated that the delegation had participated in the inspection after making written representations to the Goa State Pollution Control Board, urging authorities to initiate concrete measures for the rejuvenation of the River Sal.
“The coastal belt is directly affected by pollution in the river. This cannot continue. We will undertake follow-up visits every fortnight to ensure that the measures recommended by various agencies are implemented and taken to their logical conclusion,” Vaz said.
The meeting has once again highlighted the urgency for coordinated action among civic authorities, pollution control bodies, and infrastructure agencies to address sewage management and prevent further degradation of the river ecosystem in Margao and surrounding coastal areas.
