By Marcellus D’Souza

Apr 21: The Bombay High Court at Goa declined to grant a stay pertaining to the work of laying pipeline for the treated sewage water in Benaulim to discharge it into the River Sal. The High Court however admitted the ‘intervention petition’ filed by villagers of Benaulim, and posted it for hearing on the next date which is in the June.

This is a major setback to the villagers of Benaulim. The High Court stating that “the work of laying the pipeline for treated sewage water is in accordance with the court orders, further directed to serve the notice to the sarpanch of Village Panchayat Benaulim for issuing fresh stop work notice to the concerned contractor”. The Court directed “the villagers not to go directly to the site and stop the ongoing work”.

The petition signed by nearly 19 villagers was heard on Wednesday. The petitioners had urged the Court to stay pertaining to the work of laying pipeline for treated sewage water from Colva Sewage Treatment Plant to River Sal.

In the petition villagers had urged the High Court to restrain the Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Limited (SIDCGL) and other concerned departments from discharging the treated sewage water from the Colva STP into the River Sal.

Villagers had also 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.

In the petition the villagers had also stated that their application 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.

The villagers thru their lawyer impressed the Court that the STP is a necessity and they do not oppose the setting up of the plant, however they are concerned with the fact that the treated water from the STP will be 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 on Wednesday and 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.

Meanwhile, a tense situation at Benaulim, as villagers along with the panchayat marched at the site to protest against the ongoing work of laying pipeline for treated sewage pipeline.

Villagers with MLA Venzy Viegas and members of the panchayat will be meeting Revenue Minister Atanasio `Babush’ Monserrate today to deliberate on the issue.
Frustrated villagers took the contractor engaged by SIDCGL, for starting the work without ‘proper’ written orders.

Nilesh Prabhudesai, deputy sarpanch of Benaulim Village along with other panch members rushed to the site. Argument by the villagers with the contractor was also witnessed. Police were also called to the site. The panchayat members charged the contractor of “starting the work, despite a stop work notice and without written order from the authorities”.