EDITORIAL
The state must have a mechanism to ensure that STPs operate properly
Goa’s sewage treatment plants (STPs) are operating at around 78.5% of the installed capacity, according to a status report based on data from the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd.
Among the major facilities, the 20 MLD (million litres per day) STP at Shirvodem, Navelim, is treating 24.14 MLD, indicating inflow beyond its installed capacity. The two plants at Tonca, Panaji, with capacities of 12.5 MLD and 15 MLD, are treating 10.83 MLD and 15.07 MLD, respectively. Simultaneously, several plants remain underutilised, including those at Kavlem, Vasco, Baga, and Durbhat. The report stated that underutilisation is linked to delays in house sewer connections. Plants at Colva and Baga-Calangute have completed trial runs, while the Mapusa facility is awaiting zone-wise connections. Two plants are under construction. One of them is a 20 MLD facility at Porvorim, where civil works are reported to be over 90% complete. The Porvorim plateau should have had an STP long ago.
The government claims that utilisation is up from 37% in 2021, a positive development. However, it should be higher, and citizens too need to cooperate.
The importance of sewage treatment plants cannot be overstated. These facilities are required for protecting public health, conserving water resources, preserving the environment, and supporting sustainable development. Over the years, Goa has seen rapid urbanisation, but the commissioning of such facilities has lagged behind, raising issues of cost-effective solutions for wastewater treatment. In the process, thousands of wells have been left contaminated. Construction has been permitted without paying much attention to proper sewage and wastewater disposal. Just installing an STP is not enough; whether they function regularly as per the rules is more important. Some government officers responsible for verifying whether STPs are installed and operating as per the rules, fail flat owners. Even when there are complaints of sewage overflow or discharge into nullahs, the authorities hardly act. There must be a two-layered system to check if STPs operate properly.
The Dabolim case is the latest example. Flat owners had complained, but the authorities held the builder accountable only when the situation went out of hand. Last year, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had ordered environmental damage compensation for five violations related to the same building, including issues with the STP. The builder then challenged the order before the NGT. Such situations are not new to Goa. Several old buildings have sewage leaking from open chambers. People avoided going to the SGPDA complex in Margao for the same reason. The media has been highlighting issues of discharge of sewage into paddy fields and even into waterbodies. However, for many years, the authorities have been slow to react. It is only lately, due to public pressure, that they have been compelled to act. Sewage discharge in the open is a violation of human rights as it threatens the right to health. The Goa Human Rights Commission has sought answers from state authorities and the builder in the Dabolim water contamination case.
If the Goa Medical College can provide services better than the private sector, why has the government failed to address the issue of the right to health arising from the open disposal of sewage? Besides, the government must ensure that ongoing sewage treatment projects are commissioned at the earliest. Necessary instructions should also be issued to the authorities concerned to act promptly on complaints of overflow of sewage chambers and disposal of sewage into the open.
