Phase I costing Rs 8.7 cr and covering 2.5 km, within 18 months
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: The location of the sewage treatment plant bordering neighbouring Margao had raised a stink amongst Navelkars since the commissioning of the 7.5 MLD plant in 2000. The STP – located right in their backyard – treated no sewage from Navelim in the absence of sewer lines, but only treated sewage from the neighbouring town.
Now after a long wait of 14 years, Navelkars can hope for a turnaround – thanks to local MLA and Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado. The Sinquetim-Nagmodem area located close to the STP has been taken up in phase I of the ambitious plan to link Navelim village to the STP which is now proposed for upgradation to 20 MLD.
While Avertano has launched the sewerage works on the eve of his birthday on February 28, PWD officials said the project in phase I, costing Rs 8.7 crore and covering a length of 2.5 km, will be completed within 18 months, excluding the monsoon season. “This was a long-standing demand of the people of Navelim to link the village to the nearby STP. With the launching of the project, the process is set in motion to complete the entire village in phases”, Avertano informed.
Phase II will cost the exchequer Rs 8.8 crore and will cover 3.5 km area and a senior PWD official said that phase II of the project would cover the area around the Church, Butica and parts of Mandopa.
That’s not all. Given the huge expenditure incurred on the sewerage project, the government has knocked the doors of the Centre for assistance to implement the project in the balance areas of the village and also in neighbouring villages. A senior PWD official exuded confidence of receiving around Rs 80 crore grant from the centre to take up the project in the near future.
