MARGAO: Following directives from the Bombay High Court (HC) instructing the Margao Municipal Council (HC) to submit updates on sewage water release into stormwater drains, tentative plans are being made to try and conduct a joint inspection with officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD).
It may be recalled that during the HC hearing held on Wednesday, MMC’s counsel had informed the HC that WRD would be undertaking the task of clearing the gutters and nullahs, as per the decision taken in their meeting. MMC had also informed the court they had started the work of cleaning the nullah of the plastic bottles and other junk, which have been found floating in the stormwater drain.
However, what had been feared all along was revealed by the cleanup effort: black-coloured sewage flowing in the storm water drain that eventually drains into the Salpem lake.
Previous examinations of the nullahs in Margao by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had also uncovered persistent raw sewage discharge at six different locations, prompting the MMC to initiate efforts to pinpoint potential sources of sewage in the drains. GSPCB was also directed by the HC to carry out fresh sample testing of the nullahs.
