Panaji: A people’s audit conducted along the Bambolim beach stretch on Sunday raised concerns about alleged sewage discharge into the sea. The audit was carried out by local residents and activists from the Goa Green Brigade. The affected stretch was known to support marine life and was a breeding ground for oysters and mullet fish.Residents claimed that several establishments in the area are allegedly releasing untreated sewage into the sea at night, typically between 2am and 3am. They also expressed that septic tanks and sewage treatment plants are either underutilised or bypassed altogether.“We suspect that untreated waste is being discharged directly into the sea under the cover of darkness,” a participant in the audit said, adding that this poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and public health.Activist Avertino Miranda said, “The Goa Green Brigade will ask the GCZMA to undertake ecology restoration measures, to ensure the breeding grounds of windowpane oysters and other fish are not disturbed by the dumping.”Villagers also plan to formally write to authorities, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board and the sewage department, urging immediate investigation and intervention.
