Team Herald
MARGAO: Several citizens of Fatorda, including farmers, have expressed frustration as sewage overflowing from sewage chambers continues to contaminate traditional wells and pollute agricultural fields in the Chandrawaddo locality.
On Thursday, local farmers claimed that they stopped cultivating vegetables in their lands as the sewage seeps into their fields, posing the risk of infectious diseases.
It may be recalled that OHeraldo had highlighted the issue in December 2022, but the concerned department failed to fulfil the assurances given to the residents, of initiating temporary measures.
Now, the flow of sewage from the chambers has reached the fields, besides further contamination of the traditional wells which are used for consumption purposes.
Residents have claimed that the authorities only carried out dewatering of the wells, which is not a sufficient measure to clean out sewage contamination.
“Our traditional wells are totally contaminated due to the seeping of sewage water from the sewage chambers. We are now afraid of the spread of vector borne diseases, as the contaminated wells are in the close vicinity of residential areas,” said Fatorda local Munna Khan, adding that they were tired of the empty assurances given by the Sewerage Department.
Robert Silva, another resident, pointed out that the sewage water is now causing major problems for the farming community.
“Earlier, several farmers used to grow vegetables in the fields in this area. However, they have now all stopped as the flow of sewage into the fertile farmlands is increasing by every passing day,” he said. Silva added that several people from the locality depend on the traditional wells whenever there is no supply of water from the Salaulim reservoir, but the contamination has left them worried about the summer months, when water scarcity is imminent.
Citizens say the ongoing work of laying a new sewage pipeline in the area has further added to their existing problems.
The residents have also requested the authorities to clear the choked sewerage chambers by pumping the septic waste out, instead of allowing it to flow into the fields and contaminate the groundwater.