Thaindian News

Panaji, July 23 (IANS) A legislative panel has slammed the Goa government for allowing offshore casinos and cruise vessels to dump raw sewage into the Mandovi river that runs by this state capital.
“The committee is aghast by learning that the gaming vessels, casinos and boat cruises are releasing all kinds of waste into the Mandovi river thereby causing severe water pollution,” the panel for ports’ administration said in its report tabled Friday during the monsoon session of the Goa assembly.

The committee, headed by Babu Kavlekar of the ruling Congress-led coalition, also asked the state government to initiate proper measures to dispose sewage, garbage and oil.

“The committee is surprised that the government did not take cognisance all these years of the waste that the vessels were releasing into the Mandovi river,” the report said.

Seven offshore casinos and nearly a dozen pleasure cruise vessels ply on the Mandovi river.

The report also lambasted the government for not taking any measures to prevent collisions of vessels in the Mandovi river, one of the state’s major waterbodies in which hundreds of barges ply transporting ore from the mining belt to the trans-shippers anchored portwards. The river also has a major fishing jetty, which is home to nearly 200 trawlers.

“The committee is disgusted to acknowledge that the government has not taken any measures to prevent accidents and collisions,” the report said.