------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Merces villagers complain of poor sanitation facilities -------------------------------------------------------------------- Leaking soak pits, overflowing septic tanks and a feculent nullah spreading stench and mosquitoes in the village of Merces have angered residents who demanded speedy corrective action from the village panchayat of Merces. In the gram sabha of the Merces panchayat held on January 4, villagers pointed out that soak pits and septic tanks belonging to several builders in Merces were leaking and thus posing a health hazard to the public. The panchayat has resolved that if the builders fail to repair the soak pits within 15 days, they will be fined Rs 200 per day and beyond that, Rs 500 per day.
When contacted, panch member and former sarpanch, Ms Jyoti Palekar confirmed the overflowing soak pits and septic tanks were a problem in the village. She said there were about seven builders in Merces but two were creating a nuisance and had already been served notices by the panchayat.
Villagers also questioned the panchayat as to what it was doing about the "nullah full of stagnant water in the heart of Merces" that was "smelling all the time, was a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a health hazard to the public." The panchayat resolved to clean the nullah at the earliest.
Ms Palekar explained to The Navhind Times that the problem was mainly at Dovornem ward of Merces where outlets of septic tanks and even pig-type toilets were disgorging sewage into the nullah. The panchayat has resolved to act and will send notices to the offenders, but knowing that earlier notices were ignored, Ms Palekar has mixed feelings.
She said the panchayat has always written to the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) about these problems but DHS personnel come to the site, verify the problems and then go away advising the panchayat to take action.
Following demands from gram sabha members, the panchayat will "shift" two wells in Merces. After development of land and construction of a road, one well is now partly on the road, the other is on a turning and villagers complained that six accidents had occured there. The panchayat will reconstruct these wells at safer locations nearby. It has also agreed to undertake road widening and drainage construction work.
Ms Palekar informed that since Merces has no playground, the panchayat is awaiting the government's approval to develop the ground besides the church. The file is with the Directorate of Sports and the approval is expected shortly, she said.
Interestingly, the Merces panchayat has resolved to request the state government to erect a life-sized statue of former Leader of Opposition, Mr Jack Sequeira, at a prominent place in Panaji. This is in view of Mr Sequeira being the then opposition leader, two-term MLA of Santa Cruz constituency (of which Merces is a part) and also in remembrance of his achievement towards the victory of the Opinion Poll held on January 1967. The proposal has been sent to the state government.
The panchayat also adopted a resolution to congratulate two young people from Merces, Mr Pundalik Kalangutkar, a tabla player who has won the 'Sahitya Puraskar', and Ms Harsha Uskaikar who secured her PhD in Chemistry from Goa University. -------------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 1/2/04 page 3 --------------------------------------------
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