Goa river waters unsafe for human consumption

Panaji: The rivers in Goa have got polluted to such an extent extend that their water has become unsafe for human consumption due to presence of faecal coliform bacteria resulting due to release of sewerage in it, a study has revealed.

The untreated sewerage which is released in the rivers is polluting the waters in mostly all the prominent water bodies says the report by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).

The study mentions that Rivers Sal and Bicholim are most contaminated while Mhadei (which is also called as Mandovi) and Khandepar are least polluted one in the state.

The researchers found that faecal coliform count which has to be nil was found to be hovering around 1,300 to 7,900 colonies per 100 mililitre of water in the average rivers.

GSPCB Chairman Jose Manual Noronha said state’s rivers has almost 80-90 faecal coliform content, which is dangerous to human health. "During monsoons, the untreated waste gets added to the water worsening the situation," he said.

The report which was released today on the occasion of environment day by state environment minister Alina Saldanha mentions that state’s two major Rivers – Mandovi and Zuari are polluted at various points.

The researchers had collected water samples from different rivers from 533 locations before testing them in a laboratory in Panaji, said Noronha.

He said "the samples were analysed considering physical, chemical and microbiological parameters".