Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 12: Faecal contamination continues to be a concern in Goa's rivers, with 12 of the 15 monitored locations recording faecal coliform levels above the permissible limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The latest monthly progress report submitted by the Goa government to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) shows that several river stretches, including the Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Tiracol, Sinquerim and Sal, recorded faecal coliform levels exceeding the prescribed limit of 100 MPN per 100 ml for water classified under SW-II.

The highest reading was recorded in the Mapusa River at the culvert on the Mapusa-Panaji highway, where faecal coliform levels stood at 1,700 MPN per 100 ml. The location also recorded dissolved oxygen of 3 mg/l, below the prescribed minimum of 4 mg/l, while biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) stood at 4.8 mg/l, exceeding the permissible limit of 3 mg/l.

Other locations also reported high levels of faecal contamination. The Tiracol River at Keri recorded 930 MPN per 100 ml, while Sinquerim near Candolim recorded 920. The Chapora River at Siolim Bridge and the Mandovi at Tonca-Marcela each recorded 780 MPN per 100 ml.

The Zuari River at Madkai Jetty recorded 680 MPN per 100 ml, while the River Sal at Khareband in Margao registered 780 MPN per 100 ml.

The report noted that BOD levels at these monitoring locations were generally below detection limits, indicating that faecal contamination remains a concern even where other water-quality parameters are within permissible limits.

However, the report does not identify the specific sources responsible for contamination at the individual monitoring points.

The findings come even as the number of Goa's polluted river stretches has declined from 11 in 2018 to six in 2022 and two in September 2025, following the CPCB's reassessment based on BOD levels.