Connections will be mandatory for all households in areas where STPs are set up: Nilesh Cabral
Ponda: Pushing for widening the sewerage network in the state, PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Thursday announced that changes in laws could be made for giving sewerage connections to households without they making applications for the same.
Sewerage connections will be mandatory for all households in areas where sewage treatment plants (STP) are set up. The government will make sure that the households having water and power connections are connected to the plants, Cabral said.
Speaking after commissioning a 15-MLD STP at Kavlem, the minister stated that households facing issues with landholders or others will be provided connections on health grounds.
The Kavlem STP is part of the first phase of the sewerage network for Ponda taluka. The total cost of the project is `538 crore. Out of it, around `335 crore has been spent on the Kavlem STP, which is meant for Ponda town and Kavlem village.
The remaining part of the network – connecting Curti and Undir – will be completed in the next 12 to 18 months, Cabral disclosed, underscoring the need for the network.
An STP is the need of the hour so as to save groundwater, he said, urging residents of Undir and Curti to support the project for completing it on time.
Power Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, Kavlem sarpanch Manuja Naik, SIDCGL officials and others were present on the occasion.
Dhavalikar expressed satisfaction over the completion of the long-pending STP work.
He said that connections to the plant will be completed in the next two to three months, disclosing that `35 crore has been sanctioned for repairing roads in Marcaim constituency,
On farmers protesting for adequate compensation for losing land for setting up the plant, Cabral maintained that only three farmers are left to be given compensation as they have different demands.
Two days back a meeting was held with the farmers and their family members. They were asked to accept compensation by signing an affidavit.
But they have not yet done so as they are demanding construction of a hall in the locality with the capacity for 1,000 people.
If the compensation amount is accepted then the hall can be constructed, he said, adding that the government can’t release compensation without proper calculations.
It is pertinent to note that the Kavlem farmers had demanded adequate compensation for losing the land for the STP.
Tukaram Gaude, a farmer, had accused the government of cheating and grabbing his piece of farmland.
Gaude and two others claimed that their 3,200 sq m of land was acquired for setting up the Kavlem plant.
A deal for the land acquisition was made in 2016. Farmers had demanded that instead of giving money to land losers a hall be constructed and two jobs be offered.