Slum belt at Zuari Nagar is a sanitation disaster

Slum belt at Zuari Nagar is a sanitation disaster
Defecation in the open by migrant slum dwellers of the entire belt from Zuari Nagar till Zorint is a sanitation disaster in the making.
Come elections and you will find candidates jostling in Zuari Nagar – home to about 7,000 voters which holds the key to success.
But when it comes to providing infrastructure, sanitation to these inhabitants who are mostly migrants living on the free hold land, nothing seems to be forthcoming.
The entire belt from Zuari Nagar till Zorint is devoid of any sanitation except for the Cortalim Health Centre which is trying its best to contain the spread of contagious disease.
Zuari Nagar has at least four pockets of slum areas – Ambedkar Nagar, Britto Nagar, Lamani Nagar and at Zorint.
“You see that sewage water runs in drains and over PWD water pipelines. Imagine if there is any puncture in the pipeline that the portable water could be contaminated thereby endangering the lives of thousands of innocent water consumers living in surrounding areas including Vasco,” local Medical Officer Dr Mariano Godinho told Herald.
“You need a permanent solution to these issues. A sewage treatment plant would have solved the problems of Zuari Nagar to some extent since the residents cannot afford to have their own toilets for various reasons which are not within their control,” Godinho added and regretted that the residents are forced to make defecation in the open by sitting on pipes, stones.
Consider if one person discharges 200 grammes of faeces everyday, which means 20,000 people on an average would generate 4 tonnes of excreta on daily basis and 1,460 tonnes of human waste on yearly basis.
“Where will this waste go? The waste will definitely seep down into wells, fields. All wells in the locality have been contaminated due to coliform growth. Likewise, the farmers in lower Sancoale complain of skin irritation,” Godinho lamented.
“A sewage treatment could be one of the best and lasting solution. The waste could be used for manure and the water after treating it could be used for road side plants,” suggested the doctor.
The medical officer came down heavily on panchayats for the mess. They issue licenses without the Health Department approval. The licenses are issued subject to the approval of other authorities which are mostly never obtained and they (license holder) run the business without the mandatory license from the Health Department.
The doctor gave an instance where even bars and restaurants are running with the mandatory Health Department’s nod.
Giving another instance, the doctor informed that a carpentry shop had been set up in a residential area at Povacao near Verna Church which is being opposed by a resident citing genuine health problems.
“Despite my letter to the Electricity Department to disconnect electricity, the department has refused to act,” said Dr Godinho.