It comes as no surprise that stretches of Goan rivers are polluted. It also comes as no surprise that the most polluted stretch in Goa is the one of River Sal that extends from Khareabhand to Mobor, where the river empties out into the Arabian Sea. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which grades river pollution on the basis of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) where if it is greater than the permitted limit of less than 3.0 mg/L it is polluted, this stretch of River Sal falls in category III of pollution, which means that the BOD was at a level between 10-20 mg/L, that is quite high.
But Sal is not the only river that has been found to be polluted in the State. Eleven other stretches of rivers, including Mandovi, Zuari, Talpona, Assonora, Bicholim, Chapora, Khandepar, Sinquerim, Tiracol and Valvanti, across the State were found to have BOD levels that were higher than the permissible. A river with a BOD of less than 3mg/L is considered healthy. Sadly, our rivers do not fall into this healthy category. Sadly, the reasons for the pollution in the river are manmade. But this also means that the pollution can be reversed, if there is the will to remedy this.
As pointed out by the National Green Tribunal, the known causes of pollution in rivers are ‘dumping of untreated sewage and industrial waste, garbage, plastic waste, e-waste, bio-medical waste, municipal solid waste, diversion of river waters, encroachments of catchment areas and floodplains, over drawl of groundwater, river bank erosion on account of illegal sand mining’. All these causes are very prevalent in the State and unless immediate steps are taken, the other rivers that are already considered polluted, could see their pollution levels rise to that of River Sal, making the water bodies a threat to the aquatic life.
River Sal’s pollution is common knowledge and has been a matter of discussion at various times in the past. The main reasons for the pollution in this river are untreated sewage or drain water flowing into the river, garbage that consists of non-degradable materials, and get this, even chlorinated water from swimming pools constructed in hotels and residential complexes in villages through which the river flows. These are also the reasons for the pollution in most other rivers, but Sal’s contamination has been so noticeable that it has led to efforts to bring it under control, but none have been successful.
Earlier this year the Centre had sanctioned a new project to bring pollution in the river under control. The project had been sanctioned under the National River Conservation Plan at Rs 61.74 cr, whereby the Centre and the State would share the cost on a 60:40 basis. Under the project, around 32 kms of sewers are to be laid and a sewage treatment plant of 3 million litres per day (MLD) constructed. The project, scheduled for completion by January, 2021, is aimed at reducing pollution in the river and improving the water quality, besides improving the surrounding environment and sanitation.
Given the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board, it may be necessary to extend this project to other rivers in the State. As has been asserted by the National Green Tribunal, ‘tough governance is the need of the hour’. The State has been taking pollution too lightly. In the quest to allow development and industrialisation, the natural resources have been disregarded. The result is unhealthy rivers that if not infused with some urgent remedial measures, could die, taking along with it the aquatic life. The State does need some tough governance that is responsive to the early signs of something gone wrong that could lead to greater disasters if not attended to.
