Kavlem ryots cry foul over sewage dumped in nullah

PONDA: The draining of sewage into the nullah that flows through Ponda is raising a stink in nearby villages. Residents of Kavlem village, 2.5km from Ponda town, are worried that the polluted waters will affect their fields. The village panchayat too has expressed "deep concern".
For three months now a night soil tanker has been spotted draining its contents into the nullah from the retaining wall of a private property belonging to a former politician.
Kavlem sarpanch Rajesh Kawlekar told TOI on Tuesday that villagers are worried that the sewage will pollute the nullah's waters.
The water is used for farming in the village and the contaminated water will also lead to health problems among locals, he said.
The Ponda Municipal Council, meanwhile, has stated that the tanker isn't the one run by the civic body.
"The PMC does get sizeable revenue from its tanker. But the tanker has been under repairs for the last three months. We are trying to have it repaired at the earliest to stem our losses," said chairperson Rukmi Dangui.
She added that the tanker is at a workshop in Fatorda.
Asked where the tanker would drain the sewage when it was in operation, neither Dangui, chief officer Pradeep Naik nor any other PMC official could reveal the exact spot. Dangui and Naik said they had taken charge three months ago and last Monday respectively.