By Marcellus D’Souza

Apr 20: Nineteen Villagers of Benaulim have filed an “intervention petition” before the High Court of Bombay at Goa urging it to restrain the Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Limited (SIDCGL) from discharging the treated sewage water from the Colva Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) into the River Sal. The matter will be heard on Wednesday April 20.

Villagers from 19 villages have signed the intervention petition and prayed to the Court for permission to intervene in the matter.

The petition further stated that their application is regarding the environmental damage caused in the village of Colva, particularly the Colva beach due to the non collection and improper disposal of garbage and waste, and discharge of sewage, besides water into the Colva creek.

Villagers have urged the Court for an order directing the SIDCGL and Director of Tourism to consider the requests of the applicants to find alternative uses of the treated water generated from the STP at Colva.

SIDCGL has set up a sewage treatment plant at Colva beach to treat the sewage generated mainly by hotels and various other establishments around the Colva beach. The villages did not oppose the STP and think it is a necessity for the area with so many hotels. However they were concerned, with the fact, that the treated water from the STP is being discharged into the River Sal, which is already polluted.

The petition, said villages, has been filed in the interest of protecting the River Sal in Salcete. "Considering the river is already quite polluted, discharge of the water from the STP will cause further pollution in the River which will adversely affect its aquatic life and biodiversity which is facing a threat due to pollution from discharge of sewage,” the villagers said in their petition.

The villagers of Benaulim, Orlim, Assolna, Varca, Carmona, Cavellosim are dependent on the River Sal for fishing and agricultural activities and if the pollution level increases due the discharge from the STP pipeline it will cause a loss of livelihood to the fishermen of these villages, the petition said.

The villagers had launched a movement Mission Save River Sal. Residents of Pedda-Benaulim, had opposed the laying of the effluent pipeline for the last couple of months. Vehicular traffic from Pedda road junction to Khareband Bridge was blocked to carry out work of laying of treated effluent discharge pipeline and a diversion with effect from April 16, 2022 to May 14, 2022 according to a Notice put up.

Activist Royla Fernandes and MLA Venzy Viegas and people assembled at the Benaulim panchayat and then headed to the district Collectorate for a meeting with district Magistrate, South, Ruchika Katyal. Venzy Viegas said the district Collector has been cooperative with the people of Benaulim, but hastened to add that the Collector is not the authority to stop the work. “The Collector has love for the environment. She has heard us and she is positive. But, she is not an authority to stop the work. Hence, the people and the Benaulim panchayat will take legal recourse to stop the commencement of the work, set to begin from April 16.”

Activist Royla Fernandes said people of Benaulim are against pollution of the River Sal by the so called “treated” water. “When we questioned the sewerage officials on the plan to discharge the Colva sewage treated water in river Sal at Khareband, they invited the people to inspect the Sirvodem plant, but the people refused saying the matter does not fall in their jurisdiction,” she said.