Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas lashed out at Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral on Wednesday, for failing to halt the discharge of sewage into the River Sal, or come up with an action plan to clean the river. He said he was ready to take on both tasks, if the government was unable to do so. Viegas added that the Managing Director of the Sewage Infrastructure Corporation had not engaged a consultant to help clean the river, despite visiting the site and inspecting the damage personally. He also warned that the Minister (Cabral) would go behind bars for the damage inflicted on the environment.
Reacting to the outburst, Cabral remarked, “There are several polluted water bodies in Delhi, including the Yamuna river and hence, the Benaulim MLA or the consultant from Delhi should first clean it before suggesting solutions to the Goa government.”
He said that the first step was to find a solution to stop the release of sewage into the river, and only then the clean-up could be done. He added that an inquiry would be conducted, and action taken against the errant engineers of the Navelim STP.
