NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Taleigao panchayat has taken up cleaning and de-weeding of St Inez Creek in an area measuring 800-1000 sq mts from Camarabhatt to Vintage Hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 84,500.
The work has been entrusted to Kafmar Environmental Services, which is using a multi-functional amphibian vehicle, the first of its kind in the country to de-weed the creek.
Though the proposal was placed and approved during the panchayat meeting on May 31, the work was started on May 26, and so far Kafmar has been able to de-weed and remove floating plastic waste including bags and bottles in Camarabhat, and the remaining area will be cleaned up within a week.
In accordance with the proposal, the panchayat has made available an excavator and a truck to collect and dispose of all waste collected during the creek cleaning.
The creek, which is a major part of the eco-system, was once a home for many birds and aquatic species has now become a dump yard for the residents in the vicinity.
What once used to be a huge water body is now filled with weeds and has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Though the possibility of flooding looms large on places along the banks of the creek starting from Tamdi Mati upto Inox culvert, the technical cell of CCP is yet to float a tender for de-weeding the creek passing through its area.
“I have already instructed the technical cell to go ahead with the proposal, but it has not started the work of tendering and I will not take any blame if in monsoon during high tide the creek gets flooded,” said CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado.
It may be recalled that Kafmar had recently held a demonstration for the CCP on the ability of multi-functional machinery and explained how the entire creek can be de-weeded, de-silted and dredged by spending less than Rs 1 crore.
Resource International had also put up proposal mentioning that a Canadian machine Amphibex would be used to carry out de-silting, and the total cost was estimated at Rs 12 crore.
Speaking to this daily, the proprietor of Kafmar Environmental Services Caesar Fernandes said, “The machine is based on Swiss technology and it is second such machine available in the country. We have charged very less so that the entire creek can be de-weeded, de-silted and dredged with coast of less than Rs 1 crore, because our main objective is to help the authorities with the cleaning of the St Inez creek and revive the water body.”
Speaking about the state of the creek in earlier days, a Camarabhat resident for the last 35 years said, “We are residing in the vicinity of the creek. During monsoon, the creek used to overflow and water would flow down the road. Gradually, in the name of development, half of the creek was encroached upon by shanties.”