TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: A one day cleanliness drive of the St Inez creek was flagged off by the Water Resources Department minister Dayananad Madrekar, at which Corporation of the City of Panjim Mayor Surendra Furtado were present. Officials from CCP, WRD, Fire Services and staff of Vivanta by Taj descend on the sewage infested creek in a bid to clean it.
Groups of CCP workers supervised by WRD officials and accompanied by Fire service divers went in flat bottomed boats picking up the garbage from the creek. Other groups including staff from Vivanta cleared garbage from around the creek.
There were groups who descended in boats to clean the creek right from Camrabhat in Taleigao as the city authorities began in what could be only described as a symbolic one day clean up of the creek.
The St Inez Creek covers about 3.6 km as it winds its way through the city and ultimately joins the Mandovi. This is supposed to serve as a storm water drain, but has become completely degraded and presently resembles a giant open sewer with sewage floating on its surface as it meanders across the city, announcing its presence with its fetid odour.
Studies have confirmed that this creek has stopped functioning as a storm water drain from the capital due to continuous a dumping of garbage, discharge of sewage effluent and solid waste generated by the hutments and habitations along its length. There is a sewage treatment plant on one bank which also discharges its water into the creek amidst allegation – strongly denied by authorities– that a lot of it is untreated sewage.
Studies also show that houses located in St Inez bandh lack toilet and sanitation facilities and have built their toilets over the creek, further contaminating the water.
According to a CCP study, there is no sewerage system along the creek to tackle the generated sewage and drainage from the surrounding inhabited areas and effluents from many households are being directly discharged into the creek and this is considered as one of the most predominant causes of pollution.
