Daijiworld Media Network - Margao
Margao, Oct 17: Contaminated wells, open sewage discharge and drains filled with sewage have raised health concerns among residents of Comba, who have demanded immediate intervention by the authorities.
Resident Sushanta Naik said the problem had persisted for the past 15 to 20 years and had worsened despite assurances of a solution ahead of the last Assembly elections by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.
“We were promised a solution immediately ahead of the last Assembly elections by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. The condition has now worsened. Water from all the wells in Comba has become unusable,” she said.
Naik said residents could hear a loud gushing sound at night, which they suspected was caused by sewage being discharged into the Sal river.
“For how long should we keep quiet? Govt is spending crores on events, it should instead spend on the basic needs of the people,” she said, adding that repeated complaints to the Sewerage Department had failed to yield results.
Meanwhile, social worker Prabhav Naik has written to Health and Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane, urging him to personally inspect the affected areas during his visit to Margao on Saturday under the government’s ‘Sarkar Tumchya Daari’ initiative.
In his memorandum, Prabhav Naik highlighted recurring sewage leakages in Comba and the risk of contamination of nearby wells. Several residents have reportedly stopped using well water, causing hardship to households in the area.
He also drew attention to reports of sewage flowing into a drain along the Ring Road behind Comba, which eventually joins the Sal river. Several rainwater drains are reportedly filled with sewage, but the source of the discharge remains unidentified.
The situation has created unhygienic conditions and raised concerns over potential public health risks, he said.
Naik urged the minister to direct the authorities to collect and test water samples from the affected wells, trace the source of sewage entering the drains and initiate corrective measures in coordination with the concerned agencies.