Story Summary: The Goa Pollution Control Board officials on Friday carried out an inspection of a resort at Sernabatim based on complaints...
PANAJI: The Goa Pollution Control Board officials on Friday carried out an inspection of a resort at Sernabatim based on complaints that the hotel was allegedly discharging sewage into fields. According to information, a chamber was kept in the fields allegedly to let out sewage, however, at the time of inspection there was no such thing happening. The inspection was held after complaints from an association of people of the area who are cultivating their fields. There have been numerous complaints that the people cultivating the fields have been suffering from skin diseases. Locals say that there was a lot of activity prior to the inspection and a lot of garbage could be seen burnt in the area, however, there was no evidence about who were the perpetrators, besides circumstantial one. It may be recalled that the Colva civic and consumer forum had filed a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa that had directed the panchayat not to issue no-objection certificates to hotels, restaurants and eateries seeking to expand till they set up their own sewage treatment plant. There have been numerous inspections and sources say that the reports are still not ready as a comprehensive one is awaited. “We want something comprehensive. This cat and mouse thing cannot go on. We want a final solution,” Ms Judith Almeida of the forum told media. The moving force in the Sernabatim case is its former sarpanch. Locals have been upset and complaining incessantly about improper sewage disposal and subsequent contamination of the creek in the village for several years. The stench from the 1.2-km creek that travels to Sernabatim and then back to the beach has seen the pollution control board inspect the creek, and find traces of raw sewage in it, and subsequently order the panchayat to stop hotels from discharging sewage into it. On Monday, the board, as part of a two-day inspection drive, checked eight hotels and found that only two had set up sewage treatment plant as per directives issued. Deputy collector, D M Redkar, informed that the decision to issue closure notices, as directed by the HC, to hotels not adhering to directions will be taken once he receives the GSPCB report. The Colva forum has alleged that most hotels, after they close shop for the day, still dump sewage into the creek or release it directly through lengthy pipelines directly into the sea. GSPCB’s May inspection had found hotels using pipes buried under the ground to dump sewage into drains that lead to the creek and dump and burn garbage in the creek. -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------