Panaji: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has ruled out the possibility of making it mandatory for shack operators to connect their sewage tank to sewage line as it would be a violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
The board however decided to direct the tourism department, who is the licensing authority, to ensure that the shack owners install a holding tank for discharge of sewage and the sewage is safely collected by the tourism department.
During a recently-held board meeting, GSPCB member secretary discussed the issue in detail with the members and informed that it would not be feasible for the shack operators which are seasonal in nature to draw a sewage line as the shacks are on the beach side and would have to cross private properties and eco-sensitive sand dunes for laying the pipeline, which is not permissible under CRZ notification.
It was decided to entrust the task of monitoring of waste water collection and its safe disposal to the tourism department while the board will oversee the compliance.
The tourism shack policy 2019-22 has made it mandatory on shack owners to provide portable toilet facility like bio-digestive toilet, chemical mobile toilet with inbuilt proper sewage collection and disposal facility. The service provider for such portable toilets has to be approved by GSPCB.
The policy also prohibits the disposal of waste water generated in septic tank, soak pits or open draining of toilet waste in the ground.
