PONDA: In Ponda, the absence of operational sewage treatment facilities has transformed the town’s primary nullah into a dumping ground for sewage and waste. This dire situation is exacerbated by the influx of water and sewage from internal drains and neighbouring panchayats.
Since 2016, the completion of three Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Kavalem, Undir, and Curti has been eagerly awaited. However, delays, particularly due to opposition from locals in Undir and Curti, have hindered progress.
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Ponda Taluka boasts numerous pristine water bodies and springs, which, unfortunately, now channel sewage and garbage through internal drains into the main nullah. Consequently, farmers with paddy fields downstream in Kavlem and Bandora have been forced to keep their fields fallow due to contamination of once-fertile agricultural land.
Rapid urbanisation in Ponda and surrounding areas has led to the proliferation of structures along the nullah’s banks. Not only domestic but also hotel sewage waste directly enters internal drains, eventually polluting the main nullah.
Naresh Naik, a resident of Ponda, expressed disappointment that despite significant investment in sewage treatment infrastructure since 2016, the town remains far from clean. Although the Ponda STP Project was inaugurated last year, operationalisation is pending. Similarly, the STPs in Curti and Bandora Panchayat are also incomplete.
Sewerage officials assure that the 15 MLD STP plant in Kavlem will commence operations after connecting sewerage lines to households. The treatment plant is ready, and a trial run has been conducted. However, the process of providing sewage connections to households is still underway before the plant can become operational.
