Residents of Comba in Margao have demanded an urgent inspection and testing of local wells after a joint site visit intended to investigate suspected sewage contamination was cancelled without a replacement date. Residents say the delay is prolonging uncertainty over water safety and forcing households to spend more on alternative supplies.
The inspection, scheduled for Tuesday morning, was expected to examine the condition of wells and trace the source of sewage allegedly seeping into them. Locals have reported sewage overflow, open discharge and sewage-filled drains in the area, which they say have made several wells unsuitable for drinking and other household use.
Residents told the Times of India that many households have stopped using well water for drinking and daily chores. They said the wells had remained untested despite complaints over several years, and called for water samples to be collected immediately and sent for laboratory analysis.
“We have been living with this for years. The wells remaining untested is a risk to our children and the elderly,” a resident was quoted as saying.
The issue had been raised before health minister Vishwajit Rane during the ‘Sarkar Tumchea Dari’ programme in Margao on October 17. According to the report, Rane directed the chief officer of the Margao Municipal Council to inspect the affected areas and submit a compliance report. The subsequently planned joint inspection had raised expectations among residents that officials would identify the source of the suspected contamination.
Social worker Prabhav Naik said the notice issued by the Margao urban health centre was dated October 30 but reached him by email only on November 2. A second email arrived a few hours later informing him that the inspection had been cancelled. No fresh date had been announced at the time of the report.
Naik alleged that political interference was responsible for the cancellation and appealed to Rane to intervene and ensure that the inspection takes place without delay. The allegation was reported as a claim and no independent confirmation of political interference was provided in the source material.
Residents have also reported hearing a gushing sound at night, which they suspect could indicate sewage being discharged into the Sal river. The source report does not establish whether the sound is connected to sewage discharge or whether any illegal release has occurred.
Health experts cautioned that wells located near leaking sewage lines or drains can carry bacteria associated with gastroenteritis, typhoid and hepatitis, particularly during and after the monsoon. However, the presence of contamination in the Comba wells has not been established through testing, as the proposed inspection and sampling had not taken place.
Residents are seeking a rescheduled joint inspection, immediate collection and testing of well-water samples, and identification and plugging of any sewage leaks. The Margao civic and health authorities had not announced a new inspection date in the report.
