MARGAO
Even as there’s no let-up in the rampant discharge of raw sewage water in the city storm water drains, the government agencies, including the PWD, seemed to grope in the dark over the question of forcing erring households and commercial establishments to go for the sewerage connections.
This became evident at the meeting of the stakeholders convened by Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar to take stock of the ground reality given that the sewerage imbroglio is monitored by the High Court in the Public Interest Litigation filed by Navelim resident, Prof Antonio Alvares.
The meeting was primarily called to find out the action taken by the PWD, Sewerage after the MMC forwarded the replies received from the owners of households and commercial establishments denying the release of sewage and wastewater into the drains and storm water nullahs.
After the meeting, the MMC Chief Officer told the media that after the civic body issued over 280-odd show cause notices to the households and commercial establishments to stop the discharge of sewage into the drains, the MMC received a standard reply denying any violations of the water norms.
“We had forwarded the replies received from the households and commercial establishments with a request to verify whether the owners have connected their premises to the sewerage network or not. The PWD was required to verify the replies filed by the individual households and commercial establishments and report back. However, the MMC has received no reply from the PWD to date,” he said.
The MMC Chief Officer has warned that the MMC will be left with no option but to file an affidavit in the High Court stating that the PWD, Sewerage has defaulted in verifying the claims made by the 250-odd households and commercial establishments. “We have given the data collected by the MMC to the PWD, Sewerage on the ground reality. The PWD has to now take a call whether to disconnect the establishments or to force them to take the sewerage connections,” he said.
He added: “We can understand if some of the households and commercial establishments have failed to take the sewerage connections for want of sewage network in their backyard. In such case, the PWD has to appoint a consultant on how to go about laying the sewerage network and the technology to execute the work.”
The MMC Chief Officer pointed out that the High Court has issued clear directions to crack a whip against the establishments, including households and commercial establishments if they are discharging their sewage and other waste in the storm water drains before the water flows and contaminates the Salpem water body at adjoining Navelim.
