Team Herald
PANJIM: Taking cognisance of reports of the Khandepar river turning muddy again, the officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board have now launched a probe into the matter.
Locals in Ponda complained that muddy water was flowing from their taps right from Chaturthi eve thereby dampening their festive spirits and the same issue surfaced at Kodlim when locals noticed that the river water had turned muddy again yesterday.
Sandeep Parkar, a resident from the area wrote to the Member Secretary of the Pollution Control Board complaining about the nuisance after which the Asst Engineer Sebastian Barreto and two others visited the OPA plant and collected samples of the muddy water.
The officials also visited the river at Kodlim and took samples and stated that the results would be available only after a fortnight.
Earlier on Wednesday, locals protested against a mining company at Kalay Dabal for releasing polluted water into the river.
Parkar demanded that the officials trace the source of this polluted water as it was a health hazard and added that it was a violation in the eyes of law.
“As per law, there should be a buffer zone of 100 meters between the river and mining pits however at Kodlim the distance between the Opa river and huge mining pits filled with water is hardly 8 to 10 metres,” stated Parkar
The officials admitted to Herald that muddy water was flowing from the river but added that they were yet to trace the source and also stated that they would initiate action once the source of pollution was identified.
