3 months after commissioning, Rs 56cr STP at Colva has only 80 connections

Colva: Despite a stern warning from chief minister Pramod Sawant earlier this year to the residents of Colva to connect their homes and commercial establishments to the newly inaugurated sewerage treatment plant (STP), the response remains lukewarm.
While commissioning the 7.5 million-litre-per-day (MLD) STP in Jan, the chief minister had clearly stated that the water supply would be cut off for those failing to comply. However, three months later, only 80 connections—both domestic and commercial— have been completed.
Prior to its inauguration, the STP was running with just 19 connections, and 35 commercial connections were said to be in progress at that time. Despite the plant being fully operational now, most residents continue to delay the process of linking their properties to the system.
Junior engineer from the water resources department, Bhushan Bhat, said that multiple efforts have been made to reach out to residents. “We have issued notices through newspapers, made announcements in churches, and even requested panchayat members to encourage residents in their wards. But the response has been disappointing,” he said.
The STP, a much-awaited project that took over a decade to materialise, came at a total cost of Rs 56 crore—Rs 23 crore for the treatment plant and Rs 33 crore for laying an 11-km-long sewerage pipeline network.
Connection charges remain one of the primary deterrents. Commercial establishments are required to pay between Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh for a one-time connection, while domestic households are charged Rs 5,000. For apartments, the cost is lower at Rs 3,000. Additionally, users will incur a monthly sewerage fee—50% of the water bill for commercial units and 35% for domestic users. The only documentation required is a copy of the latest water bill.
Colva sarpanch Suzie Fernandes noted that while the village has an estimated population of 5,000, many residents who collected the application forms have not followed through. “We have done our best to encourage people. At the end of the day, we can only request and not compel them to take the connection,” she said.