Team Herald
PONDA: Pondaites visiting the town and market for various works say drains,gutters meant for drain of rain water are overflowing with sewage ,causing unbearable stench in some parts of town including Upper
Bazaar.
The sewage from some residential buildings and some hotels also flows through gutters emanating a strong stench .Following lukewarm response to sewage connections, the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) had warned to initiate action against those for not applying for the same. PMC Chief officer Yogiraj Gosavi urged the locals to immediately apply for sewage connections and warned those who failed to apply for the same and found releasing waste into the open will be fined. The chief officer further warned that electricity and water connections will be disconnected.Sewage Corporation officials at Shantinagar office urged the locals to immediately collect application forms for connections . Ratnadeep Kurtarkar, a owner of a pharmacy at Upper Bazaar, said the strong stench emanates from gutters in front of his Pharmacy. This has been continuing for years as sewage is released into the gutters. He said that the prevailing situation could lead to the spread of vector-borne diseases including dengue. For the past two to three years, Kurtarkar said that he had filed five complaints with PMC. Following complaints, even the Health Inspectors recommended disconnecting water connections. However the menace continues.
Sandeep Ramnathkar, a motorcycle pilot, complained of unbearable stench emanating from sewage released from a residential building complex in the market.
Sewerage Corporation AE Mahesh Gaunekar said “The 15 MLD STP has started functioning and the corporation has started releasing sewage connections. There is poor response from the locals. There are complaints from town dwellers about stench emanating from the gutters following the release of sewage. Pondaites should apply for sewage connections by completing all formalities at earliest which is mandatory.’
Swaraj Desai, Technical Assistant in the Sewerage Corporation, said, “Sewage connection is mandatory. For individual house or bungalow, the fee for applying for a sewage connection is Rs 5,000, for flats it is Rs 3,000 and sewage charges would be 35 percent of water bill. For hotels and shops Rs 2000 will be charged per connection and hospitals will be charged Rs 9,000.”
He said, “so far four hospitals have availed sewage connections and soon the Sub District Hospital will be connected to the sewerage network. At Dhavalim, 172 have received connections while in Ponda 20 have availed the connections. Ten residential buildings have applied for connections and it is responsibility of people to submit their application forms.”
PMC Chief Officer said, “Today I inspected the market area and all municipal buildings have applied for sewage connections. Last year, I issued notices to 36 building and this year, 17 buildings were issued notices for releasing waste on open. Some had complied with the directions and followed corrective measures. I urge people to avail sewage connection and those found releasing sewage in the gutter would be issued seven-day notices failing which water and electricity connections will be disconnected.”