Goa: Most creeks contaminated by sewage, finds pollution board

PORVORIM: Discharge of sewage water is to blame for the contamination of a majority of the state’s creeks. This is the finding of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), which monitors various creeks, including St Inez creek in Panaji and Colva creek.
While GSPCB monitors the creek at Dando-Mollo in Velsao on a monthly-basis, the water quality parameters of St Inez creek, Colva creek and Bethora creek has been analysed in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
“St Inez creek is contaminated mainly due to sewage. Aggravating the situation is the lack of adequate infrastructure maintenance, civic or otherwise, and no periodic de-silting,” GSPCB said.
The results indicate compromised and deteriorated water quality and depleted aquatic life and riparian vegetation, with altered stream channels. St Inez creek should be considered an impaired water body requiring urgent attention, it said further.
Based on the water sample of Colva creek collected on June 4, 2018, the board said, “Its biochemical oxygen demand and total coliform levels exceed permissible limits.”
Meanwhile, water samples collected upstream and downstream from the Bethora nullah on April 13, 2017, have revealed that the biochemical oxygen demand exceeded the permissible limit at both points. Fecal cloriform levels of Dando Mallo creek exceed permissible limits throughout the year.