Staff Reporter
Margao
Decades of system failures, inadequate infrastructure, and alleged negligence by authorities have led to the unchecked discharge of sewage into River Sal, raising serious health and environmental concerns in Salcete. With no response to their repeated complaints, residents of Margao, Fatorda and surrounding areas have approached the court, seeking intervention to get the authorities to address the crisis.
“We have been raising this issue for years,” said Savio Dias, a Maddel resident. “We have written letters, staged protests, and even filed complaints. But nothing changes. The Sal River is dying a slow death.”
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), which operates wholesale and retail fish markets along with vegetable and fruit markets, has been functioning without a waste treatment plant since its establishment 25 years ago. That coupled with the absence of a proper sewage network has resulted in the direct discharge of waste into nearby nullahs. Moreover, the existing old and low-capacity sewage system has forced vendors and business establishments in the area to release their waste into these drains as well. That is not all, said residents of Margao, Fatorda and surrounding areas, adding that sewage from the KTC bus stand nullah and other connecting drains in Fatorda and Margao is also being channelled directly into the river.
Residents added that untreated waste from the old market areas of Fatorda flows into a nullah along Colva Road, which eventually empties into River Sal. They urged the authorities to address the issue, citing health hazards caused by the pollution. Residents of Maddel, particularly those living along Colva Road, have complained of an unbearable stench posing a serious health risk.
“We cannot even open our windows in the morning. The government does nothing to address our concerns. The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) officials have collected water samples on multiple occasions, but no action has followed,” said a frustrated Maddel resident.
Locals also alleged that officials from the Sewerage Department intentionally open sewage chamber lids, particularly during the monsoons, to prevent overflows, thereby enabling raw waste to enter the river.
Despite appeals to the Margao Municipality, the Health Department, and GSPCB, residents say their concerns have been ignored.
“The unchecked flow of sewage is not only polluting the water but also destroying aquatic life and threatening Salcete’s fragile ecosystem. We demand immediate action to stop this pollution and protect River Sal,” said a resident.
