River Sal clean-up continues but no penalty for pollutersMore Infra Improvements On The Cards
While state govt has deployed floating aerators and automated gates worth crores to resurrect the dying river Sal, not a single polluter has faced penalties despite continuing contamination of the river, revealed legislative assembly records
The stark contradiction was evident from the written reply by water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar in the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly.
Shirodkar's reply stated that enforcement was limited to 'requesting' the public health engineering department to stop unauthorised discharges.
This lenient stance of govt on pollution enforcement stands in sharp contrast to its aggressive spending, largely on technological measures, to clean up the Sal. Since 2020, the state has already pumped in over Rs 40 crore into the Sal's revival. An automated water storage structure, with floating aerators, costing Rs 24 crore was built near the wholesale fish market in Margao.
Bio-beds were installed to enhance parameters such as turbidity, colour, and odour, while electrically operated gates control water flow with precision.
However, despite the adoption of technological solutions, the discharge of raw sewage and industrial waste into the river continues unabated. Sources pointed out that the
National Green Tribunal
's 2018 order specifically mandated action against polluters, but five years later, Sal's restoration relies entirely on expensive downstream solutions rather than stopping contamination at the source.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World
WomenSportOnline.com
Click Here
Undo
'You can install all the aerators you want, but if sewage keeps flowing in, you're just creating an expensive fish tank,' said one observer familiar with the project.
The upcoming Phase III of the Sal clean-up project, estimated at Rs 18 crore, promises more infrastructure improvements. This includes erecting chain link fencing alongside the Sal river near the wholesale fish market in Margao and putting in place a sedimentation process at the nullah mouth at various places to treat sewage in the Fatorda constituency.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes
,
messages
and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Plane crash: 4 people killed in medical plane crash in Arizona; personnel were en route to pickup patient
Image: X@/BuuVanNygren Four people were killed when a medical transport plane they were onboard crashed while attempting to land at Chinle Municipal Airport in Arizona's Navajo Nation, authorities confirmed. The twin-propeller Beechcraft 300 went down on Tuesday during its landing approach in the eastern region of the state, according to both local police and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reports NBC News The aircraft, which was operated by Albuquerque-based CSI Aviation, went down near Chinle Municipal Airport, approximately 200 miles (321 kilometres) northeast of Flagstaff. The four people onboard were medical personnel on their way to a hospital to pick up a patient. 'These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation,' said Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren through a post on X. 'We honor their service, their sacrifice, and the love they showed our communities through their work,' he said. 'On behalf of the Navajo Nation, I extend my deepest condolences to their families, colleagues, and all who are grieving.' he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like After 35 Years, Her Jewelry Is Nearly Gone The Heritage Journal Read More Undo The cause of the crash is yet to be revealed, and authorities have not released the identities of the victims. "This is a tragic loss to the families of those onboard and to medical air and first responder community," stated the Navajo police department, as per ABC News. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. All access to the airport is currently restricted due to the ongoing investigation, police said.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Focus on solving drinking water issues: Collector
Kurnool: In a significant step towards resolving drinking water issues in rural areas, District Collector P Ranjith Basha has stated that special attention is being directed towards ensuring safe and adequate drinking water supply across the district. On Tuesday, the Collector, along with Panyam MLA Gauri Charitha, laid the foundation stone for new overhead storage water tanks at Kalva village in Orvakal mandal. The project, undertaken under the Jal Jeevan Mission, involves the construction of two overhead water tanks with a combined capacity of 90 kiloliters and 40 kiloliters. The total cost of the initiative is Rs 1.12 crore. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector noted that funds from Zilla Parishad, Mandal Parishad, and Gram Panchayats are being effectively utilised to address water-related challenges in rural habitations. He instructed officials to expedite the works and ensure early completion to eliminate drinking water scarcity in Kalva. Addressing the gathering, MLA Gowru Charitha Reddy reiterated the State Government's commitment to public welfare and district-level development. She highlighted the efforts being made through the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide sustainable drinking water infrastructure in villages. Residents of Kalva expressed their gratitude to the MLA for initiating the project and welcomed the government's intervention. Earlier in the day, the Collector, MLA, and TTD Board members visited the Koneti Anjaneya Swamy Temple in the village and offered prayers. During the visit, the Collector was briefed on the condition of the adjoining temple pond (Koneru), and he assured necessary steps would be taken for its restoration and development. Among those present at the event were TTD Board Member Mallela Rajashekar, ZP CEO Nasar Reddy, Orvakal Mandal Special Officer and DWAMA PD Venkataramanayya, Kurnool RDO Sandeep, Orvakal Tahsildar Vidyasagar, MPDO Srinivasulu, RWS DE Amal, and RWS AE Srinivasulu.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
MBBS, BDS counselling delayed; admission on hold
Chennai: State selection committee said there will be delays in the start of counselling for MBBS/BDS admissions as Centre's medical counselling committee has put the process for the first round of admission on hold. On Monday, when the first round was already in progress, the committee announced that "choice filling and choice locking for round-1 has been put on hold." State selection committee officials said they were neither informed about this nor given a revised schedule until Tuesday. "We will not be able to start the counselling unless Centre completes round-1," said a senior official at the directorate. Central committee conducts counselling for 15% of all India quota seats in state-run medical colleges across the country, Central govt institutions, and deemed universities. "The students will take seats allotted to them in the round-1 of all India counselling if they get a seat of their choice. If they don't, they apply to the first round of state quota," the official said. "MCC releases a state schedule along with its own schedule in the beginning. When it makes changes, there is no information or instructions given to state," the official said. State committee admits students to 85% seats in govt colleges, and all seats in self-financing colleges and state private universities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I lost my IT job & thought I'd never be in tech again. Now I teach AI to students & adult learners CNA Read More Undo You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai On Tuesday, Central committee put out a notice that it has decided to extend the schedule of round-1 of UG counselling following requests from NRI/PwBD candidates and ongoing court cases. According to the revised schedule, round-1 registration deadline is 3pm on Wednesday, and payments must be made by 6pm. The choice filling and locking window will close by 8pm on Aug 7. MCC will process seats for round-1 until Aug 8 and declare results by Aug 9. Students have till Aug 18 to report to colleges. Officials say state committee will process seats and declare results this week to allow students to make informed decisions.
