MARGAO: The government has accorded a nod for a sewerage project costing a whopping Rs 150 crore in Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado’s Navelim constituency, but there’s an eerie silence on the replacement of the 9.2 km dilapidated underground line passing through MLA Vijai Sardessai’s Fatorda constituency.
While farmers in particular and citizens from Fatorda in general have been hoping against hoping for the government to replace the damaged line on top most priority, a senior Goa Sewerage Infrastructure Development official told Herald that the government has granted approval for the Rs 150 crore sewerage line for Navelim constituency, which is expected to be taken up in phased manner.
The official, however, informed that the Sewerage Corporation has nothing to do with the 9.2 km line connecting entire Fatorda to the STP plant at Sirvodem, saying the existing underground line is being looked after by the PWD.
Interestingly, the PWD had a couple of months ago prepared the estimates for the replacement of the underground line and forwarded the same to the government for approval.
Says Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai: “If the government has approved Rs 150 crore for Navelim sewage project, I can only say this is a classic case of misplaced priorities. The existing 9.2 km sewage line passing through Fatorda is damaged at several points. Citizens are complaining of foul odour, while sewage has entered cultivated fields behind the KTC bus stand.”
The PWD had earlier this year had officially confirmed that the existing 9.2 km long underground line, connecting Arlem to the STP plant at Sirvodem has deteriorated and hit by infiltrations along the stretch.
A study had recommended immediate replacement of the entire line on grounds that the line, laid around 25-30 years ago, has outlived its utility. When the entire line was checked with CCTV footage, it was found that roots had made its presence inside, besides thick deposit of silt and mud, hampering the sewage flow.
The condition of the underground line can be verified by a simple visit to the area behind the district hospital under construction. The PWD has laid a pipe connecting the underground line to the storm water drain, indicating the state of affairs of the line.
Some months ago, sewage water was seen gushing out from a broken sewage chamber on the Fatorda-Nuvem border.
More recently, sewage water found its way into the fields behind the KTC bus stand, causing nuisance and a health hazard to the farmers.
