Complete Porvorim sewage network by May: HC to state

Panaji: The Bombay high court at Goa has directed the Goa Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation to complete the construction of the sewage network for Porvorim on or before May 31. This must include the laying of the trunk line and the construction of manholes, the court stated.It was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2021 by local MLA and current minister Rohan Khaunte.SIDC managing director Rajendra Khanna, in an affidavit to the high court, listed out the difficulties because of which the work could not be completed before the earlier timeline for completion, Dec 31. He said that on account of the issuance of road closure orders from authorities and due to the ongoing monsoon season, the work of laying the trunk main and constructing manholes could not be taken up.“The whole object of the PIL was to initiate appropriate measures to be taken for the construction of the STP, which is now already started, but could not be completed for the reasons which we have noted and also stated in the affidavit filed by respondent 6. With the difficulties that have been placed before us, we are convinced that there was no deliberate intention in delaying the project, but the intervening circumstances like the monsoon as well as road closure orders, have caused the delay,” stated the division bench comprising justices Bharati Dangre and Ashish S Chavan.The govt in 2013-14 proposed a sewage scheme at Porvorim which was planned to be completed in three phases. An amount of Rs 283.5 crore was sanctioned for the project. Khaunte, in the PIL, stated 90% of phase 1 work was completed by laying 40.8km of sewage pipelines by spending Rs 124.5 crore, and after that, in March 2018, the work was abruptly stopped by dropping the construction of the sewage treatment plant at the site earmarked.The high court, in its past orders, noted that this was a serious matter where public finances to the extent of Rs 124.5 crore were already spent, but the project was virtually abandoned simply because authorities were unable to provide or acquire the necessary land for setting up the STP.