Goa: Sewage Treatment Plants in urban areas face reluctance

To preserve the health of groundwater, sewage treatment is a major concern in all urban development programmes. Goa, on the other hand, is an exceptional case. Across the state, either sewage treatment plant (STP) projects are stalled due to lack of land, no one wants to connect to the already operating plants, or locals are hesitant to drink the treated water. In Porvorim, the roughly 43 km STP pipeline network has been completed, but the 20 MLD plant has yet to be built on the land. According to media sources, the area currently designated belongs to the Comunidade and has yet to get a NOC due to a lack of consensus among community members on the proposal. A work order for the building of the STP was granted to a Hyderabad-based business six years ago, but it never emerged. An official revealed that the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) use SBR technology, which is odourless and is widely employed across the world. But, in Porvorim, every time land has been nominated for STP, the project has met opposition for concern that there will be stink emitting from it. Although an STP is already in place in Margao, officials are having difficulty persuading homeowners to sign up for additional connections, even after the cost has been reduced. Residents in other areas, like Panaji, must pay for sewage connections. Although, in Margao, the cost has been reduced, and householders would have to pay a one-time fee of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 to install the connecting connection. Residents, on the other hand, have not warmed up to the concept, believing that the current soak pit system serves them well. Residents of Benaulim and Colva petitioned the high court earlier this year, requesting a stop-work order to prevent SIDCGL from constructing a pipeline to transport water treated at the Colva STP. The pipeline laying continued after the high court declined to suspend the activity. If water treated at STPs passes through one more cycle of treatment, it is safe to drink. However, approximately 20 to 30 MLD of water treated at existing facilities in Panaji, Margao, and Vasco is reused, primarily for watering plants in urban gardens. In Goa, there are no takers for treated water from STPs for use in baths, toilets, vehicle washing, and other non-potable purposes. It indicates that purified drinking water provided by the PWD is now being utilised for non-drinking purposes. New laws require buildings with more than 25 units to have their STP, but in many cases, the plants are simply in place to comply with the law, are not maintained, and fall into neglect. Image Source Also read: Haryana govt plans to install canal-based water treatment plant