Team Herald
MARGAO: The Water Resources Department (WRD) has initiated efforts to clear the algae that has accumulated in the waters of Colva creek over the past few days.
WRD Executive Engineer Gipson Rebello stated that while awaiting government approval for annual maintenance funds, the department had deployed two workers to clean the stagnant water body. He described the initiative as a temporary measure and noted that once funding is sanctioned, maintenance work would be carried out at regular intervals to prevent the accumulation of algae and effluents.
The condition of the creek has drawn attention in recent days due to the scummy black water spreading onto Colva’s popular beach, raising environmental and health concerns.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas who visited the site again to assess the work being carried out also hit back at the comments made by Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira against him and the Colva panchayat members.
Veigas, who had conducted a joint inspection with the Colva panchayat and WRD earlier this week, said unlike what the Minister claimed that the MLA and the panch members were just making noise and should have called the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) instead, stressed that he had got WRD at the site to find a solution and now a temporary solution is being executed.
Viegas, added that GSPCB had already been called in the past by himself and the panchayat and that the more important issue is that Colva creek is finally clean.