NEWS: Salmona spring faces contamination By Bindiya Chari [Herald http://www.oherald.com ]
Over the last few years, many springs in Goa are dying a slow death either due to exploitation of the natural resources or apathy of the authorities. HERALD team visited some of the well-known springs to find out their status and the reasons for their decline. The series begins with focus on the Salmona (Saligao) spring. PANJIM, May 26 -- The Salmona spring originating from the Saligao hills seems to be an instance of unmindfulness of man spoiling the natural source of water. The immediate threat to the spring is posed by an illegal garbage dump located on the Saligao hills just 700 metres above the spring. Locals of the Salmona waddo, who depend on this spring for drinking water, complain that it is bign polluted due to garbage, including industrial waste, dumped at the Saligao plateau. Stray dogs who park themselves around the garbage dump also seem to be adding to the contamination of water some times. "Some of the stray dogs come down to drink, bathe and play in the spring water at the source," informed Vatsala Tuvekar, a resident of Salmona. More or less 50 to 60 houses at Salmona depend upon the spring water. Endorsing Vatsala's view, Prakash Malwankar says that "besides animals, picnickers and some odd people visiting the spring are also guilty of creating a nuisance at the spring site". Arun Sawant, officebearer of the Salmona Paryavaran Manch (SPM), says, "Some miscreants have even broken the filter caps of the pipe installed at the spring. This is in addition to littering the spring area." SPM was formed in 2003 by locals of Salmona, to stop any kind of commercialisation in the close proximity of the spring. Though SPM has not had much success in containing the nuisance at the spring, its efforts to restrain some locals from errecting commercial ventures, allegedly in connivance with the civic body, within 100 metres of the spring, did bear fruit. SPM spearheaded a movement of agitated Saligao villagers to protect the spring and the land around it as a 'protected forest' some years ago. They fiercely objected to the hill-cutting and blockade being put up in the traditional pathway leading to the spring. Ironically, constructions in the spring area had come up despite the Range Forest Officer informing the Panchayat in February 2002 that allowing any permissions for constructions of houses, etc within 100 metres from the Salmona spring, especially in the upper areas, would attract violations of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Agitated villagers demolished the compound wall that blocked the access to the spring, warning vested interests that they will not take things lying down. Intensifying their agitation, they demanded intervention by the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and forest minister Vinay Tendulkar, brining to their notice that the spring and its surrounding area come under the purview of the Supreme Court judgement on Writ Petition No 202 of 1995 and that the area is proposed to be included in the category of private forest. Eventually, the SPM succeeded in stalling th eproposed commercialisation projects near the spring, in which they were fully supported by the Saligao Civic and Consumer Forum and the Nisarg Nature Club. Though the villagers won one battle, the problem of stopping contamination is yet to be addressed. There have hardly been any efforts to maintain cleanliness -- womenfolk continue to wash clothes at the spring site, leading to further pollution of the water. Mary Fernandes, Sarpanch of Saligao, told Herald that she has been regularly visiting the spring to see that the spring site is not dirtied. However, residents of Salmona do not agree. "The Panchayat has not contributed to the maintenance of the spring," says Arun Sawant. An office bearer of the Saligao Civic and Consumer Forum blamed both -- the people as well as the panchayat -- for the present situation. He says, "Neither the people nor the panchayat have shown seriousness in maintaining the spring". Arun Sawant, in fact, admitted that the people's enthusiasm has died. A few people turn up for meetings now, while he himself sometimes cannot make time for the cause, as a result of his busy working schedule. Salmona spring water has medicinal properties. The Salmona spring area is also known internatinally as one of the best bird-watching sites in Goa and some rare species come here to roost, according to nature enthusiasts. Many bird-watchers visit Salmona spring area in the months of October-November. But if the spring dries up, then the chirping of the birds and the flowing water will cease to bring a sense of tranquility to the place and its people. IF YOU APPRECIATED THIS story, please send your feedback and comments to [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] (all addresses). This is important to get local newspapers to focus more on issues that matter. 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