Team Herald
PERNEM: The Health Department has decided to take action against a number of shacks, restaurants and guesthouses located between Kolamb and sweet lake in Arambol that were discharging waste water into the sea.
It was reported that a number of shacks, restaurants and guesthouses Arambol have pipelines connected to the sea for releasing wastewater. Some are openly installed, but many pipelines are buried under the sand or covered in concrete with their mouth opening at the sea end.
Locals had raised this issue several times in the gram sabhas claiming that discharging wastewater into the sea is against the sanitation rules and demanded action against them.
According to the villagers the shacks, restaurants and guest houses that are located between Kolamb and the sweet water lake do not have soak pits, due to which they have been releasing wastewater directly into the sea late at night.
During the tourist season, these businesses put up temporary toilets from where wastewater is released into the sea thereby violating sanitation rule.
Acting on the report, a team of Community Health Centre from Tuem inspected six spots and after making a compliance report, directed the owners to remove the pipes immediately. It is learnt that the health officials would soon be taking action against others before issuing them NOC for this tourism season.
