Goa Assembly amends act imposing penalty on bulk water users, failing to treat their sewage.

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Porvorim: Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday evening amended Goa Irrigation Act, 2024 imposing a penalty on the bulk water users, who fail to treat the sewage before it is released by adopting the standards as specified by the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
The amendment was passed on the floor of the House on Wednesday. State Water Resources Department minister Subhash Shirodkar had tabled the Bill, which inserts a new section in Goa Irrigation Act, 2024 prescribing penalties for bulk water users, who fail to treat the sewage before it is released.

 According to the amendment, the bulk user failing to adhere to this guideline will be charged a penalty of Rs 10 per cubic meter of water supplied to him.
As per the Act, the defection of Bulk user of water means “any person including an institution, a company or an establishment, whether Government or not, including restaurant, hotel, multi-dwelling unit, water treatment plant, desalination plant, or any other commercial or industrial establishment, or an establishment dealing with activity of construction, whose consumption of water exceeds 30 cubic meters per day.

The statement of objects and reasons in the Bill mentions that the Department of Water Resources of the Government supplies large quantity of water to the bulk users and such bulk users are duty bound to treat sewage, before it being released, so as to prevent contamination of water resources in the State.


However, some bulk users do not treat sewage and release it untreated, which pollutes water bodies, fresh water and canal water. The Government has to undertake desilting of water bodies and irrigational canals every year by spending huge amount.
The amount collected by charging penalty can be utilized for improving/enhancing quality of water resources of the State.

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