Team Herald
CANACONA: With urbanisation quickly catching up to Goa’s southern-most taluka, Canacona is now facing the problem of managing and disposing its sewage and waste water.
The beautiful shores of Palolem beach attract
thousands of visitors, and several new hotel projects are coming up in the
taluka, and recently,
a new five-star hotel with
over 200 rooms became operational here.
Locals have alleged that some of these hotels and
residential projects are discharging their septic waste into the fields.
“Since the sewage is being discharged out in the open, it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The water used to clean the Canacona fish market is also discharged into the field nearby. Filthy puddles of wastewater have formed, and stray cattle rest in them,” said local tradesman Anand Naik.
Some locals have also accused eateries in the market of not maintaining the required hygiene standards, as the waste generated by them is also disposed in the open. Earlier, a Sanitary Inspector from the Canacona Community Health Centre used to inspect the eateries regularly but the frequency of these visits has gone down in the recent weeks.
“The Canacona municipality and health officers need to look into the matter urgently and take action against those violating the laws.
There are many shacks operating at Palolem which are discharging their sewage in the open, and this affects tourism and the image of our beaches in general,” said former councillor Apuciano Diniz.
