Salpem lake pollution: HC closes PIL with strong court directives

Agencies ordered to plug untreated sewage discharge into River Sal

THE GOAN NETWORK | 20 hours ago
Salpem lake pollution: HC closes PIL with strong court directives

Once a scenic water body, Salpem Lake now awaits to see if the High Court directives will halt sewage discharge from Margao’s stormwater drains into the River Sal.

MARGAO
In a significant development, the High Court has finally disposed of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to restore the once-picturesque Salpem Lake in Navelim, which has suffered severe degradation due to rampant sewage discharge from neighbouring Margao.

The court, on Wednesday, concluded the case by issuing a comprehensive set of directives to various authorities, including the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) and the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL), with clearly defined implementation deadlines.

The PIL, filed four years ago by Navelim resident Prof Antonio Alvares, had sought the court’s intervention to restore the lake's pristine condition by halting the discharge of untreated sewage into city drains and stormwater nullahs. Over the course of the four-year legal battle, the PIL played a pivotal role in bringing to light the alarming sewage pollution affecting Salpem Lake and the adjoining River Sal. It also exposed the misuse of stormwater drains for sewage disposal, a major contributor to the contamination of local water bodies and the River Sal.

Although much remains to be done to completely eliminate sewage discharge, the PIL has already triggered meaningful action on the ground. One key outcome was the redirection of wastewater from the Azad Nagar stormwater nullah. The PIL also compelled the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to connect the Margao market complex to the underground sewer network. During the litigation, agencies, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and the Collectorate, sealed several commercial establishments found discharging untreated sewage into public drains.

Another critical intervention resulting from the PIL was the initiation of plans by the Public Works Department (PWD), Sewerage, to explore the adoption of vacuum sewer technology in low-lying areas of Margao, such as Malbhat and Gandhi Market, which have long remained unconnected to the underground sewerage system.

The High Court has disposed of the PIL with directions to the agencies based on a note submitted by the Amicus Curiae, praying before the court to issue directions to various authorities, including the MMC, the SIDCGL, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), and the PWD, Sewerage, to complete the sewage works falling in their respective jurisdictions within stipulated deadlines.

In his note, the Amicus Curiae has sought specific directions to the PWD Division XXI, SIDCGL, and the MMC to conceptualise, tender, engage the services, and implement the vacuum sewer system for the collection of sewage discharge in the low-lying areas of Margao, such as Malbhat, Gandhi Market, etc. (including the areas highlighted in the report titled "Vacuum Sewer System for the Low-Lying Areas of Margao" and any other low-lying area within the jurisdiction of Margao) as expeditiously as possible and, in any case, within twenty-four weeks from the date of the Order.

The Amicus Curiae has further sought directions to the MMC to conduct proper, effective, and regular inspections, once every two months, to identify and immediately repair and restore any leakages, breakdowns, bursts, or any other wear and tear of the sewer lines passing through its jurisdiction.

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PIL exposed sewage crisis, but battle not over yet: Petitioner

MARGAO: Navelim citizen Prof Antonio Alvares has said that his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Salpem Lake case had helped to bring Margao’s burning sewage issue to the centre stage, as the unchecked discharge had left the lake and the River Sal devastated and contaminated over the years.

Saying he is still waiting for the court order, Alvares hoped the directions issued by the High Court to the agencies, including the Margao Municipal Council, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd, and the PWD, Sewerage, will plug sewage and wastewater flowing into the stormwater drains, which later flows into the Salpem Lake and the River Sal.

Alvares, however, cautioned that he would not hesitate to knock on the doors of the judiciary in the event the agencies are found ignoring the court’s directions. “For more than three decades, farmers of Salpem Lake had stopped cultivating the fields due to rampant discharge of sewage from Margao into the lake. We have now revived cultivation in the fields through mechanisation. But the agencies need to do a lot more to completely plug the sewage,” he said.

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