PONDA: The Ponda residents have complained that they are being supplied highly turbid water. They claim that such water is harmful to health as mud particles do not go out of body.
The residents suspect that the mud slurry released from mining pits is the cause of highly turbid water supplied to them from the Opa treatment plant.
“We are receiving turbid water which is harmful to health. The mud slurry released into Opa River by the mining companies is making the water turbid. The government should conduct inspection of such mining pits,” a Khandepar local Sandeep Parkar said.
“Around fifteen years ago, we had complained and stopped such release. But now, since past couple of years, after the rainy season, the slurry accumulated in mining pits is released into Opa River. This is the reason why, the water has become turbid,” he said.
Parkar informed that after he and environmentalists Ramesh Gawas and Prakash Naik had complained to the Goa State Pollution Control Board about muddy water supply, the pollution board raided a mining company and caught its officials red handed for releasing mining slurry into the river.
“Thereafter, the mining companies stopped releasing slurry into the rivers. However, since past couple of years, the mining companies are again releasing mining slurry after the end of rainy season. This muddy water is harmful to health as it does not go out from body. This may cause deceases like cancer,” he said.
Parkar claimed that in other parts of India, all mining pits were scientifically restored after the mining ban. However, he said, in Goa all the mining pits are still open. “This is causing flow of mud slurry into the rivers,” he said.
When contacted, officials at Opa treatment plant admitted that turbid water is being supplied to the consumers. However, they denied that it is harmful to health as it is treated. “Since past few days, it is raining in Karnataka and since the river flows from that State, the water has become muddy. The discolouration of the water is due to the presence of fine particles; since they are very fine, they cannot be filtered,” an official said.
