MARGAO
Guess what’s ailing the 7.5MLD Colva sewerage plant? Why has the STP set up over a year ago not been commissioned till date? Is the sewerage plant awaiting commissioning due to bureaucratic red tape? Or, is the delay attributed to the blame game by the concerned departments?
These and other questions have been circulating in the tourist village since work on the plant was completed in all respects some months ago, raising a moot question “ why has the plant not been commissioned to date despite the completion of work? And, who is to be blamed for the inordinate delay in the commissioning of the STP when the issue is monitored by the High Court in the Public Interest Litigation filed by the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum?
Consider this for an answer: Exactly a year ago, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) issued notices to over half a dozen cafes, hotels, bars and restaurants in the tourist village for running the units without consent to operate. Notices were also issued to 43 other establishments for not connecting their premises to the Colva STP.
Hotels and restaurants, as well as other commercial establishments, however, contested the GSPCB position over the notices issued to the owners. In fact, hotel owners claimed they were willing to connect their premises to the STP, but the release of connections had not been forthcoming from the sewerage department.
On the other hand, officials of the Sewerage Infrastructure Corporation of Goa Ltd contended that the plant could not be commissioned as the application for enhancement of load has been pending with the power department. Power officials, in turn, stated that the department had raised certain queries regarding load enhancement, with a senior power official insisting that the load enhancement proposal would be sanctioned after the sewerage department complies with the queries.
As there seems to be no end to the blame game, questions are being asked as to why the issues plaguing the STP commissioning are not addressed promptly. Take the case of the land enhancement matter. It was in May last year that the proposal for load enhancement was made by the sewerage department to the power department. According to the officials of the SIDCGL, while the corporation had complied with the queries raised by the power department, an inspection of the power equipment at the STP was yet to take place.
A hotelier from Colva told 'The Goan' that vested interests initially tried to push the blame on the tourism stakeholders for not applying for the sewage connections. “It’s now months since I and many other hoteliers applied for the sewerage connection. The same, however, is not released on the plea that the power load enhancement is yet to receive sanction from the power department,” he said.
On the other hand, a SIDCGL official said they are hoping that the power department grants the sanction for load enhancement. “It will pave the way for the commissioning of the plant at the earliest and release connections to the hotels and commercial establishments along the beachside.”
Villagers oppose pumping station along road citing spillage hazards
The overflowing pumping station at Colva. File photo
Even as the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) is pinning hopes on the power department to give the nod for the load enhancement for the 7.5MLD Colva STP, the corporation is grappling with another issue “ opposition to the pumping station near the Church Road junction.
If the discussions at the Colva gram sabha held on Sunday are any indication, villagers are opposed to the pumping station at the site. They claimed that the pumping station set up on the road near the Fisheries department has been found overflowing during the rains, causing road accidents.
Colva Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes said the Colva panchayat had issued a show-cause notice to the sewerage department regarding the pumping station at the Church Road junction due to its proximity to the schools and colleges.
“At the Sunday gram sabha, the members were categorical in their opposition to the pumping station. The members pointed out how the pumping station near the Fisheries department had overflowed during the monsoons. They do not want a similar situation near the schools and colleges,” Suzie said, adding that the panchayat would issue an order to revoke the NOC granted to the sewerage department to install the pumping station.
To a question, the Colva Sarpanch pointed out that villagers have been making inquiries for sewerage connections, but the department is yet to send fresh forms to the Panchayat.
