TEAM HERALD
[email protected]
OLD GOA: With Santa Cruz village facing the problem of release of raw sewage water directly into the fields and drains, the villagers passed a resolution demanding that a sewage pipeline should be laid in the village to solve the problem.
At the gram sabha on Sunday, villager and SCREAM member Reggie Gomes highlighted how the release of raw sewage has led to the pollution of wells and underground water bodies in the village.
“As a solution to the problem, a sewage pipeline should be laid in Santa Cruz, which could then be connected to the Taleigao sewage pipeline presently under construction, which would then flow to the existing Tonca Sewage Treatment Plant,” Gomes resolved.
“The survey plan for laying such a sewage pipeline from Santa Cruz to the Tonca STP via the Taleigao sewage pipeline, has already been prepared and is available with the PWD chief engineer,” he informed. Gomes further said that to achieve the objective, the NGO SCREAM is willing to undertake awareness campaigns in the village with the help of the local panchas.
He further suggested that meetings could also be arranged between the panchayat, SCREAM, the local MLA and the chief minister to give a push to the proposal.
Lauding the suggestion of the SCREAM, former sarpanch Tony Fernandes informed that local MLA Babush Monserratte is already in the process of preparing a plan for laying of sewage pipeline in the village, which will be soon submitted to the govt.
The issue of proposals for development of religious structures also raised much heat with the villagers opining that the panchayat should not take up such issues at the gram sabha as it leads to communal disharmony among the villagers.
Speaking on the subject, Peter Gonsalves said the panchayat should not encourage development of roadside religious structures as it would against the SC ruling.
“When proposals for development of religious structures are received, the panchayat can take decisions at the body meeting instead of seeking the permission of the gram sabha,” Gonsalves added while opining that objections raised against such proposals then leads to enmity among members of different faiths.
The villagers also resolved that the illegal business activities undertaken at Fursachi Ghol, near the GMC Hospital, should be closed down as the owners are releasing their sewage and also dumping garbage, in open spaces, thereby causing hazard to the health of the residents.
