MARGAO: At a meeting with shack owners and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira, discussions were held regarding the ongoing challenge of disposing of sewage from beach shacks along the coastal belt, following which a consensus was arrived about the possibility of using dedicated vehicles in both the North and South regions to handle the sewage disposal.
The shack owners led by Shack Owners Welfare Society (SWOS) President Cruz Cardozo, expressed their willingness to embrace the concept, provided the government introduces a subsidy programme to acquire the necessary vehicles to transport sewage from the shacks to the nearest sewage treatment plant (STP).
It may be recalled that the shack owners have been directed by the government to install STPs for sewage disposal. The shack owners addressed the technical issues with this requirement, citing the temporary nature of beach shack businesses and the impracticality of STPs that need a consistent sewage supply.
“The beach shack business is temporary, and STPs, if installed, would remain inactive during off-seasons,” Cardozo explained. He emphasised the need for a pragmatic solution and proposed the idea of using vehicles for sewage transport.
While the shack owners expressed interest in the vehicle approach, they requested a substantial 75% subsidy for vehicle purchases.
