PWD's subsidized sewerage scheme to benefit 10,000 households

MARGAO: The sewerage division of the public works department (PWD) has worked out a subsidized sewerage scheme aimed to benefit around 10,000 households and to connect the missing links to the underground sewage disposal network.
A senior engineer attached to the division told TOI that an estimate of Rs 4 crores has been submitted to the government recently and is awaiting cabinet's approval.
According to informed sources, the new scheme will consist of 300 subsidized connections, including 150 flats and 150 houses, on a first-come-first-serve-basis, benefiting over 10,000 households, thus connecting the entire constituency to the Margao sewage treatment plant (STP).
Prominent areas to be included in this scheme include Fatorda, Murida, Borda, Gogol, besides missing links at TVS showroom at Borda, St Anne's School at Fatorda, ITI, and left out portions that were not taken under the first phase of the underground sewerage project.
According to a senior engineer, the scheme will include the same modalities as of the earlier schemes like Rs 3000 per bungalow, Rs 200 per flat and Rs 1000 per shop. The amount has been fixed at Rs 500 for those business establishments which do not have toilet facilities.
Departmental sources however said that applications will be scrutinized before allotting the connection. "In case of technical problems in the laying of the pipeline, the application will be rejected. A fresh estimate of the number of left out areas will also be carried out at a later stage," said a source.
It may be recalled that a subsidized scheme which was floated by the department at the commencement of the project in 2000 remained underutilized due to poor response from citizens who did not want to invest in the new scheme as they had already invested on constructing soak pits and septic tanks. The pilot scheme was eventually scrapped by the government.
"However, with problem of overflowing soak pits and septic tanks, citizens have approached the department. In order to connect all households to the STP which the Goa Public Health Act mandates, this new scheme has been worked out," informed an engineer.
If the government approves, work on the project will commence in October, said an official, further warning that those failing to avail of the facility this time around will be fined from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh.