Desilting work of Colva creek begins

NT NETWORK 

Margao

Work related to cleaning of Colva creek has begun even as the state is under lockdown as a measure against spread of coronavirus. The work began from the Colva lake earlier last month and now the desilting of the creek has been taken up.

On Monday, a land mover machine was seen clearing mud and sludge from the Colva creek bed as part of the tourism department’s plan to clean up the water body that has been polluted due to release of effluents into it. 

The need is also for building of a retaining wall as the creek has, for the past several years, been witness to overflowing of polluted water. 
Speaking to this daily, sarpanch Anthony Fernandes said the panchayat is happy that the work was going on despite the lockdown restrictions and added that the retaining wall should also be completed. 

 “The work started on March 14 from the Colva lake and now the cleaning of the creek is ongoing. With the desilting of the creek, we are hoping that the problem of flooding will not arise this time. We also hope that the retaining walls on either side of the creek are built,” he said.
The retaining wall, between the creek and the sea, had collapsed and it has been causing inconvenience to tourists and locals visiting the beach as laterite stones lay scattered. 

Earlier last year, the tourism department had also informed the High Court that it would take up the desilting work of Colva creek as well as the maintenance of the creek’s retaining wall after obtaining the required Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) permissions.