Kesarval spring in Quelossim was once famous for its medicinal properties and thus became a sought after location for Goans and tourists to beat the summer heat. However, the spring has been facing a slow death with each passing year. Although the neglect and haphazard exploitation of ground water resources at Verna plateau is the primary reason for the death of the spring, another major issue that has caused locals and other picnickers to stop visiting the waters is the filth generated by migrants in the area. The isolated location has also turned into a hotspot for immoral activity.
Locals say that the spring, once upon a time used to attract people from all over the State as the water was known for the fact that it could cure heat related ailments. In the past few years, however, a multitude of migrants have arrived in the area and they are the prime causes of the dirt and unsanitary conditions due to the fact that they defecate in the area. Locals also claim that landlords give their rooms out on rent to migrants without proper sanitation facilities which leads to this problem of defecating in the open, migrants washing their clothes in the spring water and using it to answer nature’s call.
“The spring is located in a leafy gorge just below the rocky Verna plateau and is famous for curing prickly heat. I remember how we used to visit the spring regularly till it became a summer ritual, especially during April and May. Sadly, the spring is in urgent need of life support right now,” said Joao Phillip Pereira, Attorney of Cortalim Comunidade. He went on to add, “Even though the spring is known to have medicinal properties, the water has nearly dried up and it is threatened by numerous reasons including a migrant menace. The water is no longer safe. The body begins to itch after bathing in it.”
From villagers to political leaders, everyone feels the step motherly treatment given to the spring, located right in the centre of Goa, by the state administration and the Tourism department is not fair. “Nowadays, hardly any people visit the spring. Apart from pollution, there’s not much to see. The spring still produces water but the water is now tainted with sewage and chemicals dumped by the industries from the Industrial Estate. Migrants have been utilizing the spring for all the wrong purposes,” said Deven Kenkre from Cortalim. He went on to say that it is the duty of the concerned department to take immediate note of the problems but they turned a blind eye and due to that, the spring is now history.
It is not that political leaders kept quiet on the issue. Even they made several representations before the government and were supported by the gram sabha resolutions as well. However, all such pleas are still biting the dust in the government’s file cabinets.
ZP member of Cortalim, Antonio Vas claims that he is constantly following up on the issue of beautification of the Kesarval spring with the local panchayat and with state authorities too. “I have been born and brought up in Cortalim. I know the importance of the spring to our people. Besides just medicinal properties, it was also a picnic hotspot in the past. Several tourists, both domestic and foreign would visit the area. People would also collect the natural water in bottles to consume later,” he explained.
Coratlim-Quelossim sarpanch, Hillario Figueiredo when asked for comments on the problem, listed out numerous issues and has disclosed that he would bring up the issue in the Panchayat body meeting and would forward a representation to local legislator, Alina Saldanha, also the Minister for Science and Technology. “We, on behalf of the Cortalim-Quelossim panchayat would again request the Tourism Minister to take immediate cognizance of the dilapidated and sorry state of affairs at the Kesarval spring and make an immediate provision to revert the spring to its former glory, thus relieving locals,” he said.
The local panchayat body, ZP members and locals have jointly demanded and requested the Tourism department to initiate steps to beautify and rejuvenate the spring. If done, this could be used as another tourism hotspot to earn revenue for the local panchayat and people residing in the
vicinity.
