MARGAO, JUNE 16
Nature might have cleaned up the contaminated Colva creek of the sewage and other waste, but are the authorities geared up to ensure that no further sewage finds its way into the water body?
Well, ask the Colva Panchayat and the panchayat secretary says that the local body has issued notices on as many as 34 erring hotels and restaurants for discharging the waste in the drains and the creek.
Inquiries have revealed that the Panchayat is awaiting replies from the hotels and restaurants to the show cause notices before chalking out the next course of action. Sources in the know, however, say that the panchayat is being closely monitored by the Goa State Pollution Control Board which has taken a serious note of the environmental hazard posed by the sewage discharge in the creek and other water bodies.
It is learnt that the Pollution Control Board has asked for compliance report from the hotels and restaurants on the measures adopted to contain the sewage disposal.
That’s not all. A team of officials from the PWD, Health, Food and Drugs Administration, Sewage Corporation and others will inspect each and every hotel and restaurant no sooner replies come from the establishments to ensure that the pollution norms are complied with. “These agencies will cross check whatever measures, the hotels and restaurants promise to implement and accordingly initiate stern action”, informed a senior official.
In fact, sources informed that erring hotels and establishments are likely to face action from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) by way of revocation of the license. Similarly, sources said the Health Department may move the District Magistrate, South for disconnection of power and water supply to the erring establishments for non-compliance of the Pollution Control Board norms.
The exact nature of action will be known at the forthcoming meeting of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, which is expected to review the measures undertaken by the agencies and the compliance by the hotels and restaurants.
The Pollution Control Board had directed the Colva Panchayat to stop discharge of sewage, sullage, kitchen waste water and septic tank, soak pit overflow from hotels, restaurants, eateries, shacks, residential apartments and other commercial establishment into the Colva creek, water bodies, storm water drains and fields.
The Panchayat was further directed to ensure that all solid waste generated by the village, particularly from hotels, restaurants, besides residential apartments and other commercial establishments is collected, treated and disposed off as per rule and to initiate steps to ensure that all the water bodies in Colva, particularly the Colva creek are restored to their original state by adopting environmentally sound measures.
