PONDA: Highly hazardous chemical waste was discharged into the main rivulet at Ponda over the past two days, resulting in the death of aquatic life, including fish. If this contamination is not halted immediately, it poses a grave threat to both the marine species in the water body and the human population residing in the vicinity.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, Curti-Khandepar Sarpanch Harish Naik promptly conducted an inspection of the rivulet basin at Bethora and Curti. Following his assessment, he alerted the authorities of the Goa Pollution Control Board, urging them to take swift action. Naik pointed out that for the past 15 years, a beverage unit has been discharging chemical waste, raising suspicion that this activity might be responsible for the recent fish deaths.
Local resident Mahesh Panshikar expressed concern over the peril posed to Bagayats, and other aquatic life inhabiting the rivulet. Environmentalist Sandeep Parkar echoed these worries, emphasizing the deteriorating condition of the main rivulet, which serves as the lifeline of Ponda. Residents suspect that the chemical waste could have originated from either a beverage unit or an alcohol production facility, leading to water pollution.
For several decades, the main rivulet in Ponda has been vital to the region’s sustenance, originating upstream at Bethora and meandering through Curti-Khandepar Panchayat, Ponda town, Kavlem Panchayat, and ultimately merging with the Zuari river at Bandora. It plays a vital role in providing water for agriculture, sustaining Bagayats, and supporting marine life. However, the indiscriminate discharge of waste from various industrial units has transformed it from a lifeline into a health hazard, jeopardizing both the environment and public health.
