Environment bodies at odds with each other over lake pollution

Team Herald

MARGAO: In a significant development Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), upon the deliberation with Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) clarified that Raia lake and Curtorim lake that is Raloi lake are not polluted.

However, it appears that there is confusion between GSBB and GSPCB over the report about the polluted lakes, as GSPCB stands by its annual report which said the lake was polluted. 

Herald had recently highlighted the issue pertaining to highly-polluted lakes based on the GSPCB annual report of 2020-21, wherein it has been stated that Raia lake in Curtorim (referred to as Rai-Tollem) and Curtorim lake in Curtorim are a few of the highly polluted lakes. Farmers from Curtorim were shocked upon learning this. 

J Santano Rodrigues, Chairman of Curtorim Biodiversity Committee raised the issue with GSBB, and as a reply the biodiversity board clarified that all the parameters for both Raia lake as well as Curtorim lake are within limits. However, the name of the lake is wrongly written. 

“The Member Secretary had a meeting with staff of GSPCB and it is clear that all parameters for both Raia lake as well as Curtorim lake are within limits. However, the name of the lakes are wrongly written,” stated GSBB.

On the other hand, speaking to Herald, Shamila Monteiro, GSPCB Member Secretary said that the annual report published by the board had not been changed, and they have not given any clarification to anybody with regard to the issue of the polluted lakes. “We stand by our report, and it was based on the study done by the team of GSPCB,” she told Herald. 

Contrary to the statement of Monteiro, Pradeep Sarmokadam, the member secretary of GSBB said that Rai Tollem is not mentioned in the highly polluted lake, but at the same time he fails to name which lake in Raia and in Curtorim, as there is more than one lake in both the villages.

“There is no pollution in both the lakes that is Raia lake and Curtorim lake (Raloi lake), but we will be deliberating this issue with the Environment Minister on Monday,” he told Herald. 

He also claimed that names of the lakes mentioned in the news story do not reflect in any of the reports of the GSPCB. However, the annual report of 2020-21 of Goa State Pollution Control Board had clearly mentioned the names of the lakes, wherein they have shown that both the lakes fall in the Curtorim village.   

GSBB further stated that as directed by member secretary, GSBB wrote a letter to GSPCB that henceforth any sampling visit to any lake/river/canal/well should be in consultation with local BMC for correct names of location to avoid the mistake done in this case. 

In the annual report of the GSPCB it has been clearly stated that at some locations at River Mapusa, River Sal-Khareband, Rumder lake, Saipem lake, Curtorim lake, Raia lake it is seen that dissolved oxygen is below the permissible limit and biological oxygen demand (BOD) exceede the permissible limits. The report is available on the official website of GSPCB. 

However, the clarification by GSBB states that Rumder lake, Raia lake, Curtorim lake, Carambolim lake, Anjunem lake, Chapoli Dam all have parameters within limits using the limit for Class C river as per Central Pollution Control Board classification based on designated best use of rivers. 

On the other hand farmers from Curtorim, mostly attached to Raloi-lake, expressed relief with the clarification given by the Goa State Biodiversity Board. However, they are still in dilemma with regard to the two different versions of GSPCB and GSBB.