Right on the heels of the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s report about the air quality in the state being reduced to poor levels, comes more bad news. Water pollution is also on the rise with the discovery of 8 major lakes in the state having high levels of toxicity. Even though the GSPCB’s water monitoring survey only took these 8 lakes into consideration, it’s clear that every other water body in Goa is also polluted.
Every water body in Goa is sure to be polluted
It’s not to say that water pollution doesn’t happen every day. One can see it when passing any kind of water body on their way to almost every place in Goa. The ponds, lakes, creeks and rivers of Goa are polluted in every which way that one can imagine. Industrialisation and urbanisation has led to this very point. It has also resulted in encroachment and discharge of sewage and industrial effluents.
According to the study, 90% of the lakes included were being polluted by sewage, industrial waste and even construction debris. The lakes taken into consideration in this study are the Mayem, Carambolim, Selaulim, Anjunem, Saipem Lake, Raia lake, Rumder Lake, and Curtorim lake.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines state that the levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) above 3 mg/L cannot sustain fish species. This is the concentration of oxygen required for aquatic life to exist. However, when a study was done between April 2017 and March 2018, the BOD levels in four out of eight lakes were between 8 and 23 milligrams per litre (mg/L).
8 polluted lakes in our own home state
Saipem Lake which is in Navelim was found to be the most polluted out of the 8 selected for the study. The aquatic life in the lake is in extreme distress due to the low levels of dissolved oxygen and high levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).
The Raia Lake is not far behind. It is highly polluted and the deteriorating water quality is posing a danger to the existing aquatic life. Faecal coliform levels were recorded at maximum levels of 11000 MPN/100 in November, and recorded lowest of 230 MPN/100 ml during the summer season.
The waters of Mayem, Carambolim, Selaulim, Anjunem did not show a major cause for alarm with the BOD levels within permissible limits. However the presence of faecal coliform in the Mayem and Carambolim lakes was found at high levels of 4900 MPN/100ml. Selaulim and Anjunem lakes seemed to be less polluted with this same pollutant found at 14 MPN/100 ml and 45 MPN/100ml.
The Rumder Lake of Nuvem exceeded safe limits twice between last year and this one. It also recorded faecal coliform at high levels between 1300-7900MPN/100ml and as low as 200 MPN/100ml was recorded in January this year.
The pollution level in Curtorim lake caused due to sewage discharge was recorded between 450 MPN/100 ml and 7900 MPN/100 ml during the winter. While the BOD count was high in May and December 2017.
Also, read:
World Environment Day – “Beat Plastic Pollution
Global warming is leaving our seas and oceans gasping
Information credit – The Navhind Times
ItsGoa/JUNE/KDGP
