Residents of Malbhatt in the Aquem area of Margão are raising serious health and sanitation concerns after raw sewage water from an overflowing chamber has been continuously discharged into a local nullah near Cine Vishant Theater for the past eight days.
Savio Coutinho, a local resident and civic activist, highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “Since about eight days, the chambers have been overflowing, causing sewage to flow through nearby gutters and even into people’s homes.”
According to Coutinho, this is not the first time the area has faced such a crisis. “A similar situation occurred last year. Yet, no permanent solution has been implemented,” he added, warning that continued negligence could result in the spread of diseases.
Criticism has also been directed at municipal authorities for their handling of the situation. Coutinho pointed out that a robotic machine was purchased to clean Margão’s sewage chambers. However, despite being aware that the machine was incompatible with the existing chamber design, it was still acquired and now lies unused. Consequently, sanitation workers have had to revert to manually cleaning the clogged chambers.
Residents are calling on local authorities and the Margão Municipal Council to take urgent action and implement a long-term fix to prevent future overflows and protect public health.