Margao: Contaminated wells, open sewage discharge and sewage-filled drains have raised health concerns among Comba residents, who have demanded immediate action from the authorities.Resident Sushanta Naik said the problem has persisted for 15-20 years. “We were promised a solution immediately ahead of the last assembly elections by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. The condition has now worsened. Water from all the wells in Comba has become unusable,” she said.Naik said residents hear a loud gushing sound at night, which they suspect is sewage being discharged into the Sal. “For how long should we keep quiet? Govt is spending crores on events, it should instead spend on the basic needs of the people,” she said, adding that complaints to the sewerage department had yielded no results.Social worker Prabhav Naik has written to Health and Urban Development minister Vishwajit Rane, urging him to personally inspect the affected areas during his visit to Margao on Saturday as part of the govt’s “Sarkar Tumchya Daari” initiative.In his memorandum, Prabhav Naik flagged repeated sewage leakages in Comba and the risk of contamination of nearby wells. Several residents have reportedly stopped using well water, causing hardship to households.He also highlighted reports of sewage flowing into the drain along the Ring Road behind Comba, which eventually joins the Sal. Several rainwater drains are reportedly filled with sewage, but the source remains unidentified, creating unhygienic conditions and potential public health risks.Naik urged the minister to direct the authorities to test water samples from affected wells, trace the source of sewage entering the drains and take corrective measures in coordination with the agencies concerned.
