Team Herald
MARGAO: The River Sal, Salcete's lifeline, faces severe pollution. Raw sewage, thermacol boxes and plastic is ruining its health.
Environmentalists and local citizens have voiced deep concern over the escalating pollution levels in the River Sal and say that the government has turned a Nelson's eye to the illegalities and very little effort has been made to clean its tarnished reputation as Goa's most polluted river.
There is growing evidence that the river is slowly dying due to the continuous pollution, with sewage from various housing societies and hotels being discharged into the water, as many of these establishments lack proper sewage treatment systems.
According to residents, the government has allowed construction projects without ensuring the implementation of necessary sewage management systems. As a result, untreated sewage is flowing directly into the river, exacerbating its pollution.
Further compounding the issue, vendors at the wholesale fish market have been observed dumping thermocol boxes into the river, adding to the waste problem. The untreated sewage flowing through pipes along the riverbanks is seen as one of the major contributors to the ongoing pollution.
Local resident Vivek Naik criticized the authorities for failing to take action despite repeated assurances.
Santan Pereira, a resident of Benaulim, shared his memories of a time when locals would fish in the river to earn a living.