MARGAO: The long-standing issue of sewage pollution in the fields and River Sal of Salpem Tolem village near Margao is heading for a final hearing in the Bombay High Court of Goa on June 11, Tuesday.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Professor Antonio Alvares against the rampant discharge of untreated sewage into the area will come up before a bench comprising Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes today.
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The matter, which was previously heard by Justice M S Sonak and Justice Bharat P Deshpande, was kept for final disposal or directions. However, Alvares, who is also the president of the Salpem Tolem Farmers Association, had pleaded for the case to be kept open as the flow of sewage remained unabated despite some initial action taken by authorities.
According to Alvares, the onset of the monsoon has exacerbated the pollution crisis, with the drainage system in Margao receiving its annual servicing. “The Salpem lake (in Navelim) and the River Sal will be flooded and all the excrement, garbage, junk, leaves, rubbish, runoff, slop, and trash will be discharged through the fields, finally into the Sal,” he stated.
The crux of the issue lies in the improper management of sewage by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) and other government authorities such as the Public Works Department’s (PWD) Sewerage Division and the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGL). While a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) exists in Shirvodem Navelim, it is connected to the sewerage network instead of the gutters meant for stormwater drainage. During the monsoons, the STP is unable to handle the increased volume of water, leading to the direct release of untreated sewage into the fields and river.
Alvares said “ the storm water drains in Margao, such as the one near the SGPDA market, are constantly filled with stench and never cleaned, indicating a lack of maintenance by the MMC. Markets should have their own treatment plants to prevent the contamination of surrounding areas.”
The situation has become so bad that Alvares and the Salpem Tolem Farmers Association threatened to take matters into their own hands if the authorities failed to address the issue. “We have already decided to put truckloads of rubble, concrete, and cement and block the flow. We have the right to protect our cultivable fields. If the MMC does not stop thinking that Navelim fields are Margao’s sewage chambers, then we will be left with no other option,” Alvares warned.
“The pollution crisis has not only affected the environment but also poses a threat to the livelihood of farmers in the area,” said Alvares and claimed that fields around the fish market have become uncultivable due to pollution, raising concerns about potential land acquisitions by the District Collector under the pretext of fields lying fallow.
What has irked the farmers further is that this issue has been ongoing for over three decades, with Alvares accusing the MMC and other government authorities of lacking seriousness in resolving the issue. “Thirty years is too long to tolerate, and even after the (recent) High Court’s directions, the sewage continues to flow,” he lamented.
As the final hearing approaches, all eyes will be on the HC’s verdict, which could potentially set a precedent for addressing sewage pollution and safeguarding the rights of farmers and the environment in Goa. The authorities,which includes the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) are also expected to submit their compliance reports before the HC.
It may be recalled that the Saplem farmers had recently taken up recultivation of their fields after three decades and are hoping for a final and permanent solution. Moreover, the recent sealing of restaurants in Margao due to no sewerage connection was a result of this PIL as well.
