MARGAO: In connection with the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Navelim resident Antonio Alvares over the discharge of raw sewage and waste water into River Sal and Saipem lake via the storm water drains, the Margao Municipal Council informed the High Court that 101 households from the Azad Nagar slum area will soon be getting individual sewerage connections.
The HC bench which accepted this submission directed MMC to ensure that the remaining 51 households in Azad Nagar also apply for their sewerage connections.
While MMC assured that the task would be completed within 10 days’ time, the HC has asked for a status report to be filed before it, and adjourned the matter for the next hearing in June, 2023.
At the previous hearing, the HC had directed MMC and PWD to ensure that the houses in the Azad Nagar slum are connected to the sewerage line in order to stop the discharge of waste water into the lake before April 10.
The HC had even pulled up MMC and said it would have to bear the cost of the sewerage connections for the households at Azad Nagar
if the situation is still not resolved.
However, as per the PWD notification, the cost of the sewerage connections of the households will be recovered by PWD in instalments, from residents’ future water bills.
Two public toilets in Azad Nagar were recently connected to the sewerage line.
It may be recalled that MMC had recently formed a core committee, which had recently carried out an inspection of the slum area.
Alvares and farmers from Saipem Lake had expressed their dissatisfaction with this inspection as it revealed how waste water was still being released. The affected farmers also complained that their age-old tradition of cultivating the field near Saipem lake had to be
discontinued due to the sewage contamination, which also led to skin-related health issues.
