Finally, after The Goan has continuously raised the stink,stench and disease faced by the residents of Seraulim, the GSPCB and healthauthorities have started indicting the two garbage contractors in the villagefor pollution and the necessary show cause notices have been served. But thematter has taken a U-Turn and the real problem of the villagers has been burieddeep in the midst of confusion and the blame comes on non-other then PanchayatSecretary Edwin Carvalho.
Panch member Elvis Lobo pointed out, “The problem now isthat the authorities have inspected the sites and prepared their reports, butthe panchayat secretary has sent show cause notices to both parties, only onthe matter of the piggery as a health concern, while the garbage sorting sitesthat are more hazardous, are totally ignored in the notice. All this despitehealth authorities blaming the two garbage contractors and all others who takepig food from them, as pollution causing and responsible for the 66-odd malariaand dengue cases in the village”.
Seraulim Gram Sabhas have moved on from the land-filingareas earmarked for a panchayat ghar to assault by gram sabha members whilearguing over mega-projects. The hot discussion every gram sabha has been thegarbage that is being brought into the village by contractors, namely MangueshFernandes and Antonio Rosario Fernandes from some 5 star hotels. While thebio-degradable garbage is distributed by these contractors to the locals to runtheir piggeries, the non-bio degradable is stacked on their properties, untilthey are picked by the necessary scrap dealers. Seraulim resident DominicFernandes raised concerns of the garbage contractors and finally, the Goa StatePollution Control Board has inspected the sight besides the South Goa Collector,N D Agarwal and Cansaulim Health Centre authorities.
When the GSPCB and the health authorities have not able topointed flaws in the garbage contractor’s sites and also the collector hasspecifically stated that to take action only based on expert opinion, the howcan my office issue showcause notices and take action. The demand by a factionof the villagers is ridiculous when the Cansaulim Health Centre itself in itsreport has given the garbage units a clean chit, stated Seraulim Sarpanch,Sebastian Noronha.
Contradicting the sarpanch and denying allegations againsthis own show cause notice, Panchayat Secretary Edwin Carvalho stated, “Allthese allegations are false. In my show cause notice, I have asked the garbagecontractors to correct all practices that are leading to health hazards and toimmediately stop their piggery units, besides asking them why I should notinitiate action for removal of these units from the village.”
A malaria outbreak
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to “The Goan” who, by publishing the story of the plight of Seraulim villagers suffering due to the garbage menace, have given us the much needed strength to continue in our fight against the contractors.
We are resolved to get this issue sorted out at the earliest, especially since more than a dozen villagers living in the vicinity of the garbage dump have got malaria due to the prevalence of mosquitoes. Health authorities who tested their blood samples too have confirmed that it is due to the unhygienic conditions that they are subjected to. Even the people who take the garbage from the two contractors to feed their pigs are suffering from malaria.
How can we be mute spectators when our fellow villagers are suffering due to the vested interests of a few?
The citizens of Seraulim
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