Team Herald
VASCO: Taking a dig at Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Health Officer of Vasco Urban Health centre Rashmi Khandeparkar on Wednesday claimed that despite three notices served to AAI on overflowing sewage from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) owned by AAI which in turn has been polluting the storm water drain (located next to STP, no steps were taken by AAI to resolve the issue, however in reality situation actually has worsened.
Speaking to reporters after conducting site inspection along with complainant Jude Joseph on Wednesday morning, Khandeparkar claimed that she along with other officials including GSPCB, panchayat and others have already held three inspections of the same site in the past and have even issued notices to AAI, but instead of any improvement, the situation at the site has turned worse.
“Now to add to the existing sewage problem, AAI has even started dumping collected garbage close to the STP and along with sewage people engaged in segregating garbage are dumping garbage in the storm water drain. We now want to meet the airport director in person and see that what he has to speak about this. Not only at this site but even at the gutters at the entrance of old airport building we have found presence of sewage which is unacceptable,” she said.
“Garbage close to airport attracts birds and can lead to bird hits which are serious and should not happen. Also, I need to know how frequently AAI dumps its garbage at MMC owned garbage treatment plant at Sada,” she said.
Complainant Jude Joseph, from Chicalim, said, “The Airport authority had been letting out sewage from its sewage treatment plant into the storm water drain which was once famous as Assoi-Dongri Spring which passes from Assoi-Dongri residential area till down Chicalim village. Now, the village people are suffering and chances of people facing epidemics remain high.”
“We had first complained against this menace in 2015, however, no action was taken and hence now again we officially made complaint to health officials and today we inspected the site and health officials found my complaint to be genuine,” he said.
As the Airport Authority director was not present, the complainant along with Khandepar later met Deputy Collector Mormugao Gaurish Sankhwalkar and explained to him about the seriousness of the issue seeking his intervention.
“I was told that the STP owned by AAI is not functioning properly and sewage is overflowing into storm water drain. I have spoken to AAI and they have sought time to reply with factual position of STP. If situation does not improve, then, I will call for a joint meeting to sort out the issue permanently,” Sankhalwalkar told reporters.
