VASCO: The villagers and farmers from Velsao have claimed that ‘mega structures’ that have cropped up in the surrounding areas are discharging raw sewage into the fields and making them uncultivable.
Speaking to reporters, former Velsao-Pale-Issorcim deputy sarpanch Sylvia D’Souza said many farmers were facing inconvenience and are at the risk of health problems and skin diseases due to the open discharge of the sewage.
“The fields are being contaminated due to sewage. The fields cannot be revived because they are filled with sewage water all year round,” D’Souza said.
D’Souza gave the example of Sancoale, where she said there are a lot of high rise residential apartments, having around 200 to 300 flats.
D’Souza said she has approached authorities like the Directorate of Health Services and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to intervene, but no action has been taken.
Speaking about a massive departmental store and mall that is coming up in Sancoale, D’Souza and other locals expressed apprehension that the proposed mall would also release sewage into the fields and make the situation worse for farmers.
D’Souza sought intervention of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department and the Directorate of Health Services to ensure that a sewage treatment plant (STP) is in place before the mall starts operations in the area.
Cortalim ZP Merciana Vas expressed support in favour of the farmers of Velsao. She urged people to revive the farmlands that are not cultivable and take up farming as their profession and consider it an opportunity for self-employment.
Pale Tollem Xetkar Association president Roquezinho D’Souza thanked Cortalim MLA Anton Vas for helping farmers by providing all kinds of farming machines free of cost.
