One common argument among the locals is ‘they don’t oppose Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) but don’t want it located in their area’ and demand that STPs be shifted from their village.
The main reason to oppose STPs is that locals fear of constant stench that will generate from it and would make their life difficult in such atmosphere.
With this stand by locals on plants, the two proposed STPs are not getting any site since people from every village put forth the same argument. Earlier STPs were opposed at Gaunem, thereafter in Municipal area at Varkhandem. Now the two proposed STPs in Bandora and Curti Panchayat are in rough weather with over sixty per cent work of laying sewerage lines completed. The authorities have failed to identify other ideal and low lying places to construct treatment plants for the sewage.
Though everyone is aware of the urgent need of a Sewerage Plant, the government and the sewerage officials seem to have failed to clear the doubts raised by locals about its functioning and stench that will spread in locality. The locals are holding sit-ins on the road to protest the projects due to the fear of the stench.
After Undir locals, the Curti villagers came on the road with the same fear to oppose sewerage work. Even the locals residing in Municipal area of Ponda had, in the past, opposed setting up of a plant despite knowing that the sewage is released in the open and nullahs. The government needs steps to clear the doubts on STPs from people’s mind, said a source.
It is now almost a year now the Undir locals in Bandora Panchayat are opposing to Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP). They have even approached the Courts and Panchayat Director and have filed petitions asking for a stay on the project.
Following Undir locals recently another proposed STP in Curti, Khandepar Panchayat has been opposed by the locals who passed a resolution in the gram sabha demanding to issue a stop work notice. With locals opposing both the STPs the question before the authorities is how to convince the villagers of the benefits of a sewerage system.
Over 50 villagers gathered past week and stopped the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Goa Ltd.(SIDCGL) work of laying a pipeline that had commenced at Curti Housing Board in Curti Panchayat. The locals led, by Deputy Sarpanch Shailesh Shet and Mahalaxmi Housing Board Society President Prakash Sawant, opposed the plant stating that it comes in residential area.
Guru Naik alleged that the PWD Minister is forcing the plant at Undir and that they don’t want the sewage of other areas to be treated in their area.
PWD Minister Sudin Davalikar said, “ The projects are proposed to protect the water bodies, nullahs, which are polluted as sewage is released into them in absence of Sewerage Plants. These projects are coming with latest technologies and clean water will be released after treatment of sewerage and will not bear any stench.”
