PONDA: Vendors and locals heaved a sigh of relief as the overflowing sewage mixed with rain water accumulated near the Ponda bus-stand was finally cleared by the authorities.
The Ponda Municipal Council (PMC), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the employees of the Sewerage Department worked on a war-footing to clean the stinking nuisance on Tuesday. The chocked gutters however needed to be cleaned.
Locals and PMC officials alleged that if sewage and human waste had accumulated on the road here then it was the Sewerage Department that had to be blamed for its criminal negligence.
PMC Chairperson Ritesh Naik said, “The council had cleaned all gutters recently, however, the Sewerage Department had damaged the drain and inserted pipe that led to the chocking of drains and gutters here.”
This led to women vegetable and fruit vendors sitting by the roadside bitterly complaining that they had lost business on account of sewage overflowing from gutters accumulated near the petrol pump.
They were furious and claimed that the stench was unbearable as sewage from toilets was released in the gutters and was overflowing.
Meanwhile, shop owners, locals and vegetable vendors in Ponda urged the PMC to clear all the gutters here before the place turns messy again.
