MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council has come under scanner on the question of sewage discharge in the city’s storm water nallahs with the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) coming up with an observation that the sewage flowing into the Kudchadkar storm water nallahs flows from the Gandhi market and the Malbhat area of the city.
The MMC may have to further answer a host of unanswered questions how come the sewage is flowing into the storm water nallahs when the civic body is mandated to stop the sewage discharge in the open drains and nallahs.
MMC officials in the know told The Goan in private that that the civic body had in the recent past identified as many as 104 premises in the city, suspected for discharge of sewage in the drains.
In fact, an official further informed that that the civic body had way back in 2022 had written a letter to the Margao Urban Health Officer, PWD and the Sewerage infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL), besides the Power department to take a call on as many as 58 premises for possible disconnection of water and electric connections after these premises did not even bother to reply to the show cause notices.
Questions are raised at to what has stopped the civic body from initiating action against the erring premises, including non-renewal of their trade licenses unless the establishments prove they have their premises connected to the underground sewage network. “The Municipal babus do not require rocket science to ensure the establishments connect their premises to the sewage line. The MMC can maintain a check on the establishments at the time of issuing water NOC and while issuing trade licenses,” remarked an official.
