Team Herald
PANJIM: No respite in sight for the residents of Mala, Panjim, as raw sewage continues to flow at their doorsteps, raising a stink in the area.
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Sewage is also seen stagnated around residential homes and in public drains at Mala area including in drains at the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) office, posing a major threat to the health of the people.
Sewage leaked from a PWD’s sewer line and a commercial building has created a menace in the area.
“The stench is unbearable. Mala is in Panjim and a so-called Smart City, looking at the present situation we feel that the situation in slum areas is far better. For how long do we have to bear this nuisance? The health department officials have visited the site only once and they have not taken any concrete measures to prevent outbreak of diseases,” Pranav Shanbhag, a resident of Mala said.
“Our building is surrounded by sewage, black thick liquid is all over the compound. Earlier only rain water used to flood our compound but now we see our building flooded by raw sewage. People are falling ill. The authorities concerned should help us at least on humanitarian grounds,” Praveen Sutar, another resident, said.
Former Mayor and senior-most councilor Surendra Furtado sought Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s intervention and appealed to him to find a permanent solution to the issue.
“I find myself at a loss of words, I am shocked to see the sewage entering the premises of residents. We should stop the blame game. The Chief Minister should step in and ensure that corrective measures are taken before an epidemic hits Panjim,” Furtado said.
On Thursday, CCP Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Naik said that required steps have been taken by the departments concerned and added that it will take four days for the situation to be back to normal.
PWD Assistant Engineer Rashmi Shirodkar was not available for her comment.
