Safe or unsafe water?
Tucked away in nature's lap, Uguem, a small village housing South Goa's lifeline, Selaulim dam, should have been a paradise in the hinterland. Lying in the foothills of the verdant Sahyadri range, the village has been devastated by mining activities in the past and now industrial activity is polluting its main water source.
Uguem panchayat is surrounded by Bhati panchayat on the eastern side, Sanguem municipality from the western side, Calem panchayat from the northern side and Rivona panchayat from the southern side.
Selaulim water reservoir supplies water for drinking as well as for irrigation projects in major talukas of South Goa. This was achieved by the state's biggest irrigation project which was estimated to cost Rs 8.5 crore in 1970s, but shot up to Rs 153 crore when it was completed. The serene surroundings of the dam in the village with a population of 4,812 in the seven-member panchayat attracts visitors from other parts of the state and tourists, but undesired development is affecting its natural resources.
The famous dam and the botanical garden nearby attracts thousands of tourists and rakes in revenue for the government, but Uguem panchayat is not receiving even a few rupees from this source. The collection of entry ticket fees is taken by the forest department. The only income Uguem panchayat can rely on is around Rs 50,000 from house tax collections.
The Selaulim dam has four big water treatment plants atop the hill on the south-western side of the dam atop the hill. Water is being chemically treated in these reservoirs and the water get filtered and goes in the reservoir tank for distribution. It supplies drinking water to places as far as Cavelossim in Salcete and Vasco in Mormugao taluka and other surrounding areas.
All the four treatment plants have a diameter of around 70m. But what shocks residents is the apathy and disinterest shown for many years by the local bodies, pollution control board and the state government to the presence of an ore processing steel plant in the close proximity of the treatment plant. "The plant is barely 150m away and is polluting the drinking water teatment plant, reservoirs and the surrounding area with hazardous gas," a local resident alleged.
Francis Carvalho a social activist and president of 'Farmers Club- Uguem' said that the ore-processing steel plant is not more than 200m from the main Selaulim water treatment plant and reservoirs. "Due to the pollution done by this factory, the drinking water from the reservoirs gets contaminated with dust and hazardous gas pollution. Major part of South Goa which connects to the Selaulim drinking water pipeline gets polluted water because of the factory's pollution," Carvalho stated.
"I have raised this issue in many gram sabhas, even the panchayat had taken a resolution which I proposed and sent to the pollution control board to take necessary action against the factory owner. Pollution control board failed to do the inspection till date," stated Carvalho.
Another resident John Sequeira from Uguem said that people of Uguem and Sanguem town came onto the streets and several morchas were staged at Sanguem bus stand in protest against the factory polluting drinking water reservoirs. "The previous panchayat members including the sarpanch lent support to the people's agitation, even the then parish priest of Sanguem church joined hands with the agitators against the rampant pollution done by the factory," stated Sequeira.
"Why is the mines department numb on this issue? How can the pollution control board give no objection clearance to this factory when the reservoirs are located at mere distance of 200m," asked Carvalho.
Diogo Fernandes, a farmer from Uguem, said that the government must come up with a solution to solve this problem. A major part of South Goa is being affected by the pollution from the factory. "I had opposed this pollution issue several times during gram sabhas but no action has been initiated yet. How can Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) allow a factory near Selaulim dam," said Fernandes.
Read More Here - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Safe-or-unsafe-water/articleshow/33038925.cms
Uguem panchayat is surrounded by Bhati panchayat on the eastern side, Sanguem municipality from the western side, Calem panchayat from the northern side and Rivona panchayat from the southern side.
Selaulim water reservoir supplies water for drinking as well as for irrigation projects in major talukas of South Goa. This was achieved by the state's biggest irrigation project which was estimated to cost Rs 8.5 crore in 1970s, but shot up to Rs 153 crore when it was completed. The serene surroundings of the dam in the village with a population of 4,812 in the seven-member panchayat attracts visitors from other parts of the state and tourists, but undesired development is affecting its natural resources.
The famous dam and the botanical garden nearby attracts thousands of tourists and rakes in revenue for the government, but Uguem panchayat is not receiving even a few rupees from this source. The collection of entry ticket fees is taken by the forest department. The only income Uguem panchayat can rely on is around Rs 50,000 from house tax collections.
The Selaulim dam has four big water treatment plants atop the hill on the south-western side of the dam atop the hill. Water is being chemically treated in these reservoirs and the water get filtered and goes in the reservoir tank for distribution. It supplies drinking water to places as far as Cavelossim in Salcete and Vasco in Mormugao taluka and other surrounding areas.
All the four treatment plants have a diameter of around 70m. But what shocks residents is the apathy and disinterest shown for many years by the local bodies, pollution control board and the state government to the presence of an ore processing steel plant in the close proximity of the treatment plant. "The plant is barely 150m away and is polluting the drinking water teatment plant, reservoirs and the surrounding area with hazardous gas," a local resident alleged.
Francis Carvalho a social activist and president of 'Farmers Club- Uguem' said that the ore-processing steel plant is not more than 200m from the main Selaulim water treatment plant and reservoirs. "Due to the pollution done by this factory, the drinking water from the reservoirs gets contaminated with dust and hazardous gas pollution. Major part of South Goa which connects to the Selaulim drinking water pipeline gets polluted water because of the factory's pollution," Carvalho stated.
"I have raised this issue in many gram sabhas, even the panchayat had taken a resolution which I proposed and sent to the pollution control board to take necessary action against the factory owner. Pollution control board failed to do the inspection till date," stated Carvalho.
Another resident John Sequeira from Uguem said that people of Uguem and Sanguem town came onto the streets and several morchas were staged at Sanguem bus stand in protest against the factory polluting drinking water reservoirs. "The previous panchayat members including the sarpanch lent support to the people's agitation, even the then parish priest of Sanguem church joined hands with the agitators against the rampant pollution done by the factory," stated Sequeira.
"Why is the mines department numb on this issue? How can the pollution control board give no objection clearance to this factory when the reservoirs are located at mere distance of 200m," asked Carvalho.
Diogo Fernandes, a farmer from Uguem, said that the government must come up with a solution to solve this problem. A major part of South Goa is being affected by the pollution from the factory. "I had opposed this pollution issue several times during gram sabhas but no action has been initiated yet. How can Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) allow a factory near Selaulim dam," said Fernandes.
Read More Here - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Safe-or-unsafe-water/articleshow/33038925.cms