MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
MARGAO, APRIL 5
Are the authorities serious in tackling the highly-contaminated Saipem lake on the Margao-Navelim border? No, it appears, as it’s exactly a year since the Goa Pollution Control Board directed the Margao Municipal Council to desilt the highly polluted Saipem lake and forthwith stop the discharge of untreated sewage into the lake, but the directions have gone begging till date.
Neither the Margao Civic body has plugged discharge of sewage into the lake nor the health services have verified the capacity and structural fitness of the septic tanks of the nearby housing complexes. That’s not all. The PWD has been again caught napping as the department is yet to commence work on the underground sewage line, connecting the Colmorod area to the Sirvodem sewage treatment plant.
It was a year ago that the Pollution Control Board had issued directions to the Margao Civic body to step in and undertake desilting of the Saipem lake and stop the discharge of sewage waters into the lake. Incidentally, the Margao Civic body was directed by the Goa Pollution Control Board on more than one occasion to stop sewage waters from flowing into the Saipem lake, but in vain.
The directions came after analytical reports of a water sample from the lake had indicated that the total coliform and faecal coliform present in the water body exceeded the permissible limits. The analysis report had also indicates that the BOD and COD values vis-à-vis the water sample exceeded the permissible limits. During the course of inspection, it was also reported that the lake emits foul odour.
Incidentally, the Margao Municipal Council had last year ordered disconnection of water supply to the seven residential housing complexes at Colmorod, but the decision was later kept in abeyance for reasons best known to the Civic body.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho, while admitting that the Civic body could not execute the GPCB directions, said that the only answer to the overflowing septic tanks and discharge of sewage waters into the Saipem lake is the construction of the underground sewage line. “Unless, the underground sewage line is put in place, connecting the entire city to the Sewage treatment plant, piece meal measures will not help solve the burning problem”, Coutinho added.
