CCP directs owners to obtain proper connections
PANAJI
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has sealed illegal sewage outlets of seven houses found discharging waste into Mala Lake and directed the owners to obtain proper sewage connection permissions from the concerned authorities.
The action was brought to the notice of the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation initiated over dead fish found floating in Mala Lake. The CCP also informed the court that a damaged sewage line in the locality had been identified during inspection and repair work was underway.
Hearing the matter, the Vacation Bench of Justice Jitendra Jain directed the affected house owners to apply for sewage connections and instructed the concerned authority to process such applications expeditiously.
The court also permitted the CCP to place its latest report on record before the Registry and directed the civic body to communicate the present order to all house owners whose sewage outlets had been sealed. The matter has been posted for further directions on June 9.
During the hearing, the CCP informed the court that one sewage pipeline in the area had been found damaged during inspection and steps were being taken to rectify the defect.
At the previous hearing on May 6, the CCP had informed the court that show-cause notices were issued to 31 houses allegedly discharging sewage and wastewater into drains connected to Mala Lake.
The civic body had stated that a joint inspection was carried out along with the Fisheries Department and the Water Resources Department (WRD) to trace sources of contamination. Of nearly 200 houses inspected at the time, 31 were found to be allegedly releasing sewage into the drainage network connected to the lake.
The High Court had then directed the WRD and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to complete the inspection of houses located on the western side of Mala Lake within three days.
