PONDA: The residents of Ponda have once again complained of receiving turbid water in their taps.
In the first week of October, the residents complained of the same issue; after which, the problem was solved and the people began receiving clean water.
With the same problem arising for a second time, the Ponda residents have demanded action against mining units releasing muddy water into Opa River.
Meanwhile, Dabal Kirlapal villagers have threatened to lead a morcha to the offices of two mining companies at Kashti if they don’t stop releasing their waste into Dudhsagar River within a week.
The Dabal Kirlapal villagers allege that the two mining companies located at Kashti Kallem are releasing slurry into Kalem River which later flows into Opa Water Treatment Plant.
According to Dabal locals, before the water reaches downstream at Opa, the villagers upstream at Dabal, Kodlim, Davcon, Santon, Ambe, Dulai and Kumbarwada directly pump river water for consumption.
“But the pig and sponge iron plants at Kashti and Kallem allow the slurry from their mining pits overflows into nearby a nullah and then to Kallem River, which flows into Dudhsagar Opa River. The overflowing slurry pollutes the river,” a villager said.
Therefore, the Dharbandora villagers, for a second time on Tuesday, went to these plants and warned the officials of the two mining companies not to release mud slurry into the nullah. The villagers warned the officials that if the release of slurry into the nullah is not stopped, they would face agitation by the locals.
Meanwhile, the officials of the pig and sponge iron plants at Kashti and Kallem assured to control their waste by Monday. However, locals warned them of agitation if they failed to control the waste released by the companies into the nullah.
