With the rampant construction of swimming pools particularly in many villages including Colva, it is highly concerning that the maintenance of these pools by the owners/builders are not monitored by the various government agencies and the village panchayat. Pool water that is disposed of untreated into the environment will affect humans/children coming in contact, damage/pollute plants/trees/vegetation and contaminate ground water of the respective village. The other major health hazard is that stagnant, poorly maintained, or unused swimming pools serve as prime, high-volume breeding grounds for anopheles (malaria) and aedes (dengue) mosquitoes. It’s high time villagers put a strict check on the licences given by panchayats for swimming pools and for those constructed already, strong pressure should be put on the panchayat and government bodies for regular monitoring on how these pools are maintained and if water is disposed only after being treated properly.
