Panaji: A booming tourism industry has meant that Goa has seen several restaurants being set up inside large residential complexes. This has given rise to a peculiar issue for the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). It is making it difficult for the board to ensure adherence to central directives, which require all restaurants with capacity for 36 and above to have their own sewage treatment plants (STP).Over the years, the GSPCB has been granting approvals to restaurants having a seating capacity of 20 and the wastewater generated by these restaurants was disposed of in septic tanks or soak pits.On Nov 4, 2009, the Union environment ministry notified new standards for the hotel industry for wastewater treatment. Subsequently, in 2018, the board received an order of the National Green Tribunal, which requires uniform treated water discharge standards for all STPs irrespective of the capacity of the STP.The board noted that the revised standards would make it difficult for restaurants to conform to them and to set up STPs as they are located within complexes.“The restaurants located in complexes have restricted space, hence it would be advisable to write to Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) to explore the possibility of connecting such restaurants to PWD STP or to have decentralised facilities connecting the commercial establishment such as restaurants,” the board noted at its recent meeting.The board also noted that it had earlier written to the Central Pollution Control Board seeking clarification on the matter and as no reply was received, the GSPCB has decided to write again to the central board seeking clarity.As per the central norms, establishments with seating capacity of 36 or more generating sewage must install and operate a compliant STP, regardless of whether it is in a municipality or a panchayat area.The Central Pollution Control Board sets the national minimum standards that apply across India and state pollution control boards are required to adopt these as a baseline, though states can bring in stricter norms as per local environmental conditions.
