Team Herald
MARGAO: The High Court (HC) of Bombay at Goa has directed the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to keep show cause notices against residents without sewage connections in abeyance, stating that the Public Works Department (PWD) has not yet completed the sewer network in the affected areas.
The division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Nivedita P Mehta said the civic body must not dispose of any such showcause notices merely based on tentative timelines given by the PWD or Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Limited (SIDCGL) for sewerage connection rollout. “The showcause notices should be kept pending till the actual connections are made available to the residents,” the court said.
The direction came during a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding pollution in the Salpem Lake and River Sal. The PIL was filed by Professor Antonio Alvares, with senior advocate Gauravvardhan Nadkarni serving as Amicus Curiae. The court reviewed progress made by the authorities and took on record the minutes of a Core Committee meeting held on May 2, chaired by the MMC Chief Officer. The document, which was also signed by the Municipal Engineer Grade I, was marked ‘X’ for identification.
Among the issues raised during the hearing, the Amicus Curiae sought a specific direction for the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to inspect the septic tanks installed by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) at the Margao market before the start of the monsoon. Government advocate Manish Salkar, representing both the GSPCB and SGPDA, assured the court that compliance would be ensured within four weeks.
The bench agreed with Nadkarni’s concern that decisions on showcause notices should not rely solely on when the PWD says it expects to release connections, reiterating that residents can only be held accountable once actual access is provided.
Further, the court directed that a copy of the PWD’s sewerage status report and updated map be furnished to the Amicus Curiae in advance. The matter will now be taken up again on June 24.
The High Court’s directions are part of a broader effort to ensure that civic action over sewage discharge is accompanied by functional infrastructure, especially in low-lying parts of Margao still lacking network access despite long-standing complaints of pollution.