Govt plans to spend Rs 4,738 cr to streamline sewage network in 10 years

SHWETA KAMAT

shweta@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: Since Goa, with just 16 per cent sewerage coverage, reels below the National Average (28 per cent), the State government plans to spend a whopping Rs 4,738 crore, over a period of 10 years, to streamline the sewage network covering the city, major towns and coastal belt. Though the estimated year for completion of the project is 2031, the authorities have clarified that the time frame specified might change according to the fund availability.

In a document released, the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Limited (SIDCGL) will pump out Rs 3078.59 crore to implement the sewerage scheme across 14 locations. The studies have been conducted and the Detail Project Reports (DPRs) are also prepared.

The Corporation has also proposed to lay sewer networks for low-lying areas and those which are yet to be covered by incurring an expenditure of Rs 1660 cr.

“It is proposed to cover all the major towns with sewerage networks using appropriate technology, to achieve the goal of total sanitation and clean environment in urban as well as rural areas,” the Corporation said.

“Health hazards such as contamination of groundwater or drinking water are observed due to the lack of adequate soaking capacity of the soil in areas with a high ground water table and low lying areas, letting off the wastewater in open drains is growing due to urbanisation. Hence laying of network line is important,” it added further.

The technologies like Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR), Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR), Natural Treatment System – Pythorid and Vaccum Sewerage System will be adopted for setting up STPs while for laying sewer lines, the Corporation will consider techniques like Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), Micro Tunneling (MT) and Rehabilitation of Sewer line by Pipe Bursting.

The Corporation informed that once the sewer lines are laid, GIS-based mapping of it will be done in lines with Panjim, Vasco and Margao sewerage systems.

According to the Corporation, only three towns – Panjim, Margao (part) and Vasco have proper sewerage networks while the works are in progress in North Coastal Belt, Mapusa, Porvorim, Ponda, and Navelim.