Team Herald
PORVORIM: National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has been entrusted with the task of undertaking a study of all the rivers in Goa to identify its level of contamination, source of pollution and to recommend measure to revive the water bodies, Minister for Environment Nilesh Cabral informed the House.
Cabral further informed that the govt will constitute a committee under the CM, who will demarcate the river boundaries and demolish all the encroachments that have come up along the banks of the river. He said that government will also plug all those residential and commercial complexes, which are indulging in direct discharge of sewage or waste water into river, thus polluting it.
He also urged his colleagues to create necessary awareness in their respective constituencies warning against the discharge of raw sewerage into rivers or sea.
He was replying to the Calling Attention motion moved by GFP Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar with regards to pollution of River Tar in Mapusa. He said that untreated sewerage is being emitted into the river leading to the adverse health effect on the people residing. He said that the highly polluted river is being used as immersion ground for Ganesh idol during ganesh chaturthi festival.
“We don’t want another River Sal in form of River Tar,” Salgaonkar added.
Participating in the discussion, Senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane demanded that govt takes some immediate steps to protect the rivers, which are getting polluted due to discharge of untreated sewerage and other effluents.
Responding to it, Cabral said the govt cannot be blamed for release of sewerage into rivers but as a responsible citizen it is the duty of each and every Goan to ensure that they treat their waste and do not release it openly or into water bodies. He added that NIO has been appointed to carry out study of all the rivers to ascertain the level of contamination, identifying the source of pollution and the measures to revive the rivers.
BJP MLAs from Mapusa Joshua D’Souza, Aldona Glen Ticlo and Independent MLA from Porvorim Rohan Khaunte also spoke on the issue and demanded that the Tar River is dredged or de-silted immediately for free flow of river water.
D’Souza added that the Mapusa civic body has banned the sale of POP Ganesh Idol within their jurisdiction and those found violating will be penalised heavily.
