SANTA CRUZ EDUCATION and ACTION MOVEMENT (SCREAM) Mark Mansion, St. Augustine Vaddo, Santa Cruz, Goa – 403005
Dt. 26th.January 2014 *For Kind Favour of Publication* The recent tragic death of 4 workers in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of a hotel in Santa Cruz could have been avoided, had a Sewage Pipeline (SP) been laid in the village. The menace of overflowing septic tanks and soak pits was pointed out at a Gram Sabha held in October 2012. However, since nothing much was done to resolve the problem, SCREAM proposed at a Gram Sabha held on 24th.November 2013, that a SP be laid in the village on a priority basis. The proposal was unanimously approved and a Resolution was passed accordingly, It was explained by SCREAM, that the proposed SP could be connected to the existing underutilized Panaji STP, via the Taleigao SP (presently under construction). It was also said that a survey plan to install such a SP from Santa Cruz to the Tonca STP via the Taleigao SP, was already carried out and was available with the PWD Chief Engineer. Besides, a former Sarpanch informed that the local MLA was already in the process of preparing a plan to lay a SP in the village, which would soon be submitted to the government. The advantage of having a SP is that it eliminates the severe pollution caused by septic tanks, STPs and soak pits, whose effluents, combined with toilet cleaning chemicals such as Phenyl and deodorants, gradually seep into the ground water table. This water ultimately pollutes the ponds, lakes, agriculture fields and wells, most of which have now become unfit for human consumption. Worse still, it has also been observed that raw sewage water was sometimes directly released into the fields and drains. History tells us that in the 1760s, the entire population of Old Goa, the then flourishing capital city of Portuguese Goa, was decimated, due to a lack of proper sanitation infrastructure, resulting in a huge manifestation of rats, and ultimately, the spread of plague. Though such a situation has not yet reached similar proportions, yet it is surely heading that way, primarily with spread of malaria & dengue. The upper hill region of our village has become a huge settlement area, which will again overload our primitive sewage disposal system and consequently affect the ground water table. Unless we take a cue from the harsh lessons recorded in history, we will be doomed to face a similar disaster that befell Old Goa. It is therefore imperative that the constitutional authorities immediately implement the Gram Sabha Resolution for a SP in our village, to save our heritage village from imminent disaster. Peter Gonsalves/President. Mob.9422635773 Shailesh Pai/ Vice President. Mob.9622147088 Reggie Gomes/Secretary. Mob.9423883177
