Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: The famous ‘Sal’ river in the south, which was once considered the lifeline, is now so dirty and polluted that one cannot get rid of its filth even if one falls into it.
This beautiful river has got a dirty look due to the discharge of garbage, wastewater, rotten dead animals, chemical wastewater released from the surrounding colonies, literally toilet waste and stray animals.
For many years, the state and central government have been trying to clean the river by spending millions of rupees, but the government does not seem to have the will to curb the causes of the pollution.
Pollution of the ‘Tar’ river in the north and the ‘Sal’ river in the south is rampant.
These rivers saw both the love and selfishness of the people. It would not be wrong to say that these rivers are now dependent on environmentalists and people who care for nature, as the government has failed to take concrete decisions on the matter, now it is calling out for its own survival. Instead of trying to recover, they wallow in their sadness and, thus, experience more failure.
The river Sal originates near the temple of Mahalasa at the Verna Plateau in South Goa. The river flows through Nuve, Mungul, Suravali, Colva, Madgaon, Banavali, Naveli, Varca, Orli, Carmona, Dharmapur, Chinchini, Assolna, Kelshi and reaches Mobor and joins the Arabian Sea along Betul. At one time, the river was considered a lifeline for the entire world. Verna and Nuvem also depend on Sal for their paddy, vegetables and other crops cultivation.
Over time, settlements sprang up around Sal, the population increased, and river pollution increased. It wouldn’t be irrelevant to say that the Sasasti drainage channel joins directly to the Sal River. A lot of pollution of the river is, mainly from settlements along the riverside.
Not only is waste from all the establishments dumped in the river, but the hazardous chemical water of the settlements is also being discharged into it. There are also reports of suicide in the river.
The pollution level of this once clean, transparent river has risen to such an extent that it is now overflowing like sewage. Moreover, the volume of this river is getting thinner day by day as it is piled up with dirt and waste. If we look at the volume of the river at Madgaon-Madel, we can see the truth.
Madel is the largest and most important wholesale fish market in the state, and all of the waste is discharged into the nearby Sal River. Since this process has been going on for many years, one of its kind dirt layers has formed on the surface of the river water, and no one is bothered to clear the same as yet.
The process of pumping sludge in one phase has been completed by spending lakhs and crores at the Benaulim side, but a big question still persists as to how long would it take for the situation to change.
On the other hand, inspite of many attempts, the level of pollution seems to remain unchanged; it would be better to provide pre-checked information on how much and how appropriate the sludge removal process has been done.
Box
“People assume that a river is a gutter, and all kinds of garbage are dumped in the river. A similar situation exists at Sal river as well. Waste disposal or wastewater treatment is a completely neglected affair in this regard.
Since the liberation of Goa, the government has not chalked out any plan for the conservation and protection of the rivers. There has never been an attempt to declare rivers and water sources as environmentally sensitive.”
Rajendra Kerkar – Environmentalist
