Govt agencies mull coordinated action to tackle polluted Colva creek
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 27
Government agencies mulled coordination action to tackle the pollution and environmental hazard posed by discharge of sewage waters in Colva creek, even as the Colva Panchayat body has resolved to serve show cause notices on all establishments releasing sewage and waste water in the drains and the creek.
At a meeting held to review and take stock of the directions issued by the Goa Pollution Control Board, participants called for initiating both short and long term measures to arrest the situation from going worse.
If the Colva Panchayat has resolved to issue show cause notices to all hotels, restaurants and eateries to stop discharge of sewage waste in the creek and drains, the Water Resources Department has agreed to take up the work of desilting of the contaminated creek after the monsoons.
As a long term solution, Chairman of the Goa Sewerage Corporation Ganashyam Shirodkar has assured to take up the work of preparing estimates for a sewerage scheme for Colva, but said the Tourism Department should seek funds from the Union Tourism Minister to execute work on the sewerage line on a war footing.
Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco’s Officer on Special Duty, Lyndon Monteiro underlined the need for a coordinated approach to the prevailing situation and said the Tourism Minister along with other agencies will work together to resolve the burning problem.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Monteiro said the Colva Panchayat would issue show cause notices to all the establishments to forthwith stop discharge of sewage to the drains leading to the creek. “This action will start immediately. All pipes connected to the drains and Creek will be disconnected. Once this is achieved, the work of desilting the creek by the Water Resources Department will start around October after the monsoons”, he added.
A Water Resources official said the department has no problem in taking up the desilting work, but asked the Colva Panchayat to identify sites for dumping of the solid waste collected from the creek.
Monteiro said one of the long term solution mooted at the meeting was to implement a sewerage scheme in Colva village. “The Sewerage corporation has extended its cooperation as evident by the presence of the Chairman Shirodkar”, he said.
Shirodkar later told newsmen that the Tourism Department should approach the Union Tourism Minister for grants to lay a sewerage line along the coastal belt. “Colva village may require around Rs 300-400 crore. The State government cannot make available these funds”, he said.
Colva ZP member Nelly Rodrigues said all establishments should have their own soakpits to drain sewage and waste water, adding that the Colva Panchayat would send a resolution to the Tourism Department seeking Central grant to the tune of Rs 400 crore as a long term measure to tackle the environmental hazard.
