PONDA: The Health Department on Thursday issued notices to around 52 houses in the Curti slum area for defecating in open spaces following complaints by locals.
With the government declaring Goa Open Defecation Free (ODF), the locals had complained to the health authorities that many houses lacked toilets and soak pits at Deep Nagar, Curti and the residents were defecating in open spaces.
The residents alleged that some houses released waste water and other garbage which flowed onto the road and pathways in the slum area. The residents feared that this would result in the spread of diseases.
Taking note of the complaints from the locals, the Ponda Health Department inspected the site and issued notices to around 52 houses at Deep Nagar.
The department warned the owners of these houses of action if they failed to construct soak pits within fifteen days.
Sandeep Parkar and other locals said, “We should be more alert as releasing of domestic and human waste into open means inviting health hazard. In our memorandum to Health Department, we pointed out that the human waste flowing through gutters into open space may result in the spread of diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, etc and so Health Department and Curti Panchayat should take serious action in this regard.”
Curti sarpanch Shailesh Shet confirmed that some houses have been constructed without panchayat permission.
