Marcos Gonsalves
MARGAO: In a peculiar yet telling episode of civic oversight, nearly a dozen households near the old Model English High School in Margao have received show-cause notices from the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) for allegedly failing to connect to a sewage system — that, residents insist, doesn’t even exist in their area.
The notices claim the households are discharging wastewater into storm drains, polluting nearby fields and Navelim’s Salpem lake. Residents, however, are up in arms, calling the accusations unfair and absurd. “We’re ready to connect to a sewage line, but where is it?” asked Antonio Pereira, a long-time resident. “The Sewerage Department told us there’s no public sewer line here. How can we be blamed?”
Many of these homes, some predating Goa’s Liberation, stand alongside newer buildings — both residential and commercial — that have sewage connections, highlighting glaring inconsistencies in infrastructure planning. “Even the municipal building once faced the same issue, but now it’s connected while we’re left out and penalised,” fumed another resident.
Locals also point to the MMC’s haphazard policies, alleging that new constructions and businesses have been greenlit without ensuring proper sewage or drainage systems, worsening the mess.
“This is classic blame-shifting,” said a local activist. “Instead of fixing the root issue, the council is targeting residents who are helpless.”
The community is now demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notices, a joint site inspection by the MMC and Sewerage Department, and urgent action to provide sewage infrastructure. “This isn’t just about drains — it’s about fairness and respect,” residents declared.
Efforts to contact MMC Chief Officer Melvyn Vas for comment were unsuccessful.