MARGAO: Citizens were upset that even though months had passed since the issue of raw sewage flowing into River Sal from the Navelim Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) was brought to the notice of the authorities, the river is still being contaminated.
Professor Sanjay Dessai also shared videos of raw sewage being discharged into the River from Margao, indicating that the various discharge points have still not been plugged.
This comes against the backdrop of farmers of Saipem lake taking the first steps to revive farming around the lake, a traditional activity that they were forced to abandon for over three decades due to the sewage contamination of River Sal and the lake. Citizens also questioned what the authorities are doing if this is the outcome after several inspections and complaints filed before all the authorities concerned.
These complaints also had information about another six locations that had been identified in June 2021, where raw sewage is being discharged into via broken sewerage network chambers, STPs till date, due to which the intentional discharge and contamination of River Sal continues. The officials manning the Navelim STP were also criticised for failing to ensure compliance of procedure of emergency discharge and to stop the misuse of an outlet, which is used during multiple emergency situations.
