Citizens blame sewage flow for St Inez Creek pollution

Panaji: Citizens of Panaji and Taleigao on Thursday raised apprehensions about sewage being released directly into the St Inez Creek.
At the seminar organised by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the creek’s rejuvenation, former corporator Patricia Pinto asked whether there was any leakage at the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Tonca, saying a doubt arose after she saw what looked like sewage gushing into the creek at Campal.Tankers bringing their sewage to the STP are still charged based on an old rate of Rs 500 per tanker which was fixed in 2002.
Another citizen said n investigation on his part indicated that raw sewage was being released directly into the creek by tanker operators who preferred to do so instead of waiting in long queues.
Former PWD executive engineer and past chairman of Indian Water Works Association Goa Centre, V S Sawant denied that the treatment plant was receiving sewage beyond its capacity.
He attributed the problem to houses releasing sewage directly into the creek.
To this, Campal resident Armando Gonsalves said it was not possible that individual households could be responsible for the black dark water gushing into the creek.
A farmer from Taleigao, Xavier Almeida said instead of using funds to build the ropeway bridge and other luxury projects, the government should set its priorities right and first pump its finance to rejuvenate the creek. A laterite wall can be built around it, he said, urging the government not to concretize it. This can set an example for the rest of the state, he added.
Former PWD engineer R G Deo said the problem can be solved once all houses along the creek are connected to the sewage system .
After the issue of the STP releasing sewage into the creek was raised at the CCP council meeting recently, the corporation wrote to the STP which denied that any sewage was being released into the creek, mayor Uday Madkaikar said.
During a pilot study of the creek, architect Hyacinth Pinto said they found that net, garbage, overgrowth and pumping stations in the creek blocked the flow of water where a Sulabh toilet was also found releasing sewage directly into the creek.
Gonsalves displayed photographs of how the creek was used in the past for boating and could be done in the future.