Goa's Mandovi river water unsafe for swimming, fishing: Pollution control board

Goa's Mandovi river is unsafe for water sports and fishing due to high level of coliform bacteria in it, according to a recent study by the state Pollution Control Board.

"The coliform bacteria content in the water is alarmingly high. The water is full of bacterial contamination which makes it unsafe for recreational bathing, water sports and fishing," says the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) report.

The report would be submitted to the National Green Tribunal, which is hearing a petition regarding the pollution caused in the river due to off shore casino vessels.

The GSPCB, however, has ruled out that the off shore casinos were releasing untreated sewage in the river water, as the inspection of the vessels revealed that they were abiding by the board's norms. "The casino vessels are complying with the conditions of the consent of the Board, with regards to disposal of sewage, through night soil tankers for treatment at the sewage treatment plant of the PWD, Tonca," the report said, stressing the need to monitor and identify the source of pollution.

The suspicion is now raised on the bilge and oily substances from the casino and other ships that use the inland water for transportation. "There is a necessity to monitor the disposal of bilge and oily substances," the GSPCB has said.

The report was compiled in May this year, after testing of water samples collected from six different locations of Mandovi river between January 27 and 31, 2014.

The parameters monitored were colour or odour, floating matters, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, fecal coliform and biological oxygen demand, the pollution control board said.