Dear Isidore The following is a 2002 article (from a website otherwise would merit from updating)
http://www.colaco.net/1/rivers.htm The Tale of Two Rivers josé colaço PLEASE vide the second half of the article commencing with "All this brings us to the TWO RIVERS *"* *jc* On 4 March 2015 at 07:39, Isidore Mendis <[email protected]> wrote: > > A river turned into a gutter > TNN | Mar 4, 2015, 02.00 AM ISTIsidore Domnick Mendes > > The village of Seraulim in Salcete taluka has seen generations of its > inhabitants eat local fish from the River Sal as part of their daily diet. > Unplanned, haphazard development was brought to the village in the recent > past which has now left the river in a polluted mess, even as the fish in > the river, have decreased drastically. > > Seraulim, with a population of 5,000 residents, is surrounded by Goa's > commercial capital, Margao, and the villages of Betalbatim, Colva, Nuvem, > and Benaulim. It comprises 12 vaddos including Acsona, Botlem, Bolcho, > Compsaltor, Tonten-Dimund, Dulcolim A, Dulcolim B, Dulcolim C, Dulcolim D, > Socobhat, Dongrim and Mugdi. > > This pristine village has agricultural fields and three 'tollem' (lakes) > which are visited by migratory birds around the year. Seraulim shares its > eastern boundary with the River Sal, which was once famed for its catch of > local fish, such as Horcheo, Pintoll, Valloi, Chingull, Kannare, Thellea, > Dhadio, and Ainsodam. > > The villagers are unhappy as local fish hardly makes an appearance in > their daily meals due to the drastic depletion of the catch caused by the > discharge of sludge, effluent, and waste from the Margao wholesale fish > market operated by the South Goa planning and development authority (SGPDA). > > Villagers also complain about clandestine operations in which hospital and > nursing homes have been dumping medical waste by the riverside which has > further hurt the river ecologically. The SGPDA wholesale fish market was > built in 2003 and is the most important hub for South Goa residents to buy > their seafood in bulk. The fish market does not have an effluent treatment > plant as well as parking area. > > "Due to the release of sewage by the wholesale fish market, River Sal at > Seraulim has been almost turned into a gutter. It is a criminality that > nothing is being done to prevent further damage caused by the ejection of > waste from one of the biggest fish markets in Goa, which, till date does > not have a facility to treat its waste. The traditional fish available in > River Sal are dying because the water does not flow and has become > stagnant," says Kevin D'Souza, an activist, who hails from Dulcolim A and > is also a member of the United Sports Club of Seraulim and the Fabrica. > > Concurs Ruben da Costa, a resident of Acsona vaddo, "The wholesale fish > market in Margao is more of a bane than a boon to us Seraulimkars. The > entire waste from this fish market is being dumped into the River Sal and > this has led to the complete dwindling of local fish. We, villagers, every > morning, face taxing traffic snarls as private and commercial vehicles park > and occupy almost the entire stretch of the two-lane road opposite the fish > market." > > The villagers say that the drastic depletion of traditional fish in River > Sal has been the worst misery brought by the SGPDA wholesale fish market > upon the village of Seraulim. > > "The still water caused by dumping and discharge of waste and effluents > into River Sal has killed almost all the traditional varieties of fish > which was delectable in taste. Till a decade-and-half ago, households in > Seraulim relished mouthwatering cuisines such as Ambott-Tik, Jirem Mirem, > Para (dry fish pickle) etc. Now, the fish available in the river is hardly > consumed because it stinks and also has an insipid and bland taste," states > Angelica da Costa, 86, widow of freedom fighter, late Fabio da Costa. > > The panchayat is optimistic that efforts undertaken by local MLA Caetano > 'Caitu' Silva and fisheries minister Avertano Furtado will lead to a > lasting solution for the cleaning of River Sal. "The panchayat has taken up > with authorities concerned, this issue of the Sal river getting polluted > and destroyed by the SGPDA wholesale fish market. The gram sabha has also > discussed the issue at length. The local body is confident that efforts of > the MLA, Silva, and fisheries minister Avertano Furtado will yield fruit," > states sarpanch Leslie Dourado. > > The local MLA Silva says he is aware of the task assigned to him by his > Seraulim constituents. "Desilting as well as removal of waste from the Sal > river hold the key to solving this problem. The river water has also got > blocked at Nuvem and an all out effort has to be made to tackle this > menace. Apart from SGPDA's waste being dumped into the river, the mangroves > are also playing a role in making the river water stagnant. With the active > support from all government departments, including Captain of Ports, > fisheries, forest and water resources department, I am confident that a > solution will be found very soon," said MLA Caetano 'Caitu' Silva. > > Top View > > The panchayat has taken up with the authorities concerned, this issue of > the Sal river getting polluted and destroyed by the SGPDA wholesale fish > market > Leslie Dourado, sarpanch > > With the active support from all government departments, including captain > of ports, fisheries, forest and water resources department, I am confident > that a solution will be found very soon > Caetano 'Caitu' Silva, MLA > > > > People's take > > The fish available in River Sal are dying because the water does not flow > and has become stagnant > Kevin D'Souza, resident > > Till 15 years ago, villagers enjoyed delectable dishes prepared from the > river fish. Today, the fish is hardly consumed because it stinks and also > has an insipid and bland taste > Angelica da Costa, resident > > The wholesale fish market in Margao is more of a bane than a boon to us > Seraulimkars. The entire waste from this fish market is being dumped into > the River Sal which has led to the dwindling of local fish > Ruben da Costa > > Problem Problem > > Dwindling Agriculture > > Like almost all other villages in Goa where agriculture has taken a > complete back seat, in Seraulim, too, few people can be found cultivating > rice and vegetables. "It is really sad that despite the agriculture > department encouraging agriculture in our village, there are a few takers > for it," rues Kevin D'Souza. > > Garbage Woes > > Villagers complain that waste management has a long way to go in Seraulim > if it has to meet with success. The locals are dejected to find that an > area in Dulcolim A is being used to dump garbage generated by the hotel > industry. > > Migrant menace > > "Seraulim has become a preferred place for non-Goans. The erstwhile MLA's > flawed handling of the 20-point programme has led to an influx of migrants > in Socobhat vaddo," says a villager on condition of anonymity. > > Trivia > > The village has been abode to famous children of Goa. They include late > Felicio Cardozo, freedom fighter and Konkani writer of great repute, who > also edited a newspaper called 'Sot'; late Fabio da Costa, freedom fighter > and first vice president of South Goa Pradesh Congress Committee; and, late > Fr Joe Gomes, the priest assigned to Rachol seminary, who donated a lot for > the development of the Our Lady of Pilar Church, built in 1635. The priest, > who died on April 18, 2010, also built a social welfare trust through which > the church hall was built. Gomes was a visionary, as he also set up a fund > for the construction of a school in the church complex. The late Gracinda > da Costa was the first woman sarpanch of the village. She, along with the > other elected members of the local body, played a pivotal role in the > construction of the Seraulim railway station, which was built in 1973. Even > today, Seraulimkars use the railway station to catch local trains to travel > to Vasco, Margao and even the Diva station in Maharashtra to get to Mumbai. > > > >
