MARGAO: The residents of Sao Jose de Areal were left shocked on Tuesday when they witnessed highly polluted water, black in colour, flowing into their traditional nullah. This same nullah had recently become a focus of renovation efforts by concerned villagers to restore the Portuguese-era bridge.
Upon discovering the contamination, villagers promptly alerted elected officials and authorities, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board and Health officials. MLA Cruz Silva from Velim, Zilla Panchayat Member Michelle Rebello and several other local leaders arrived at the site and expressed their anger over the situation.
The villagers voiced strong opposition to such environmental nuisances in their community, emphasizing that immediate action must be taken by the authorities to halt the pollution. They had previously requested the government to develop the area for the benefit of senior citizens and children.
Local social activist Freddy Travaso expressed anger at the sight of black water flowing into the nullah from two different entry points. “It is disgusting that, on one hand, people are making efforts to protect the environment, while incidents of water pollution continue to occur,” he said.
“The government authorities, be it the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Health Centre, or local panchayat, must put an end to the discharge of polluted water into the nullah and take appropriate measures. It is crucial to investigate the source, which could be factories or scrap yards, and take necessary action,” Travaso asserted.
Panch member and former Sarpanch Joyce Dias also urged the authorities to immediately cease the flow of polluted water into the nullah. She pointed out, “We used to witness similar incidents in the nearby agricultural fields, and now we are observing the same issue in this age-old water body.”
A team from the Goa State Pollution Control Board is scheduled to revisit the site on Wednesday to collect samples of the black effluent that has been flowing into the nullah.
