The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula can play a pivotal role in securing quality of water in water bodies in the state, while tying up with Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) in order to ensure prevention of pollution of water.
NIO possesses the technical expertise as well as analytical laboratories that can keep constant vigil over the discharge of effluents by the Industrial Estate units all over Goa as well as the other big industries.
While GSPCB can collect samples and enforce strict effluent treatment norms, NIO can have a Goa-centric department that assists GSPCB in determining the pollutants in the water to be discharged from the industrial units in the state and suggest remedial measures to treat effluents.
Under no circumstance should lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (Ar) be allowed to be discharged into the rivers since these are metals which are toxic in nature and will affect the marine life.
A strict effluent treatment norm should be formulated and enforced so that accumulation of toxic chemicals will in a step by step manner be totally eradicated, thus leading to better quality of the water in the water bodies.
Goa has the necessary infrastructure to deal with pollution of water in particular and it only requires the will to control and totally eradicate pollution of our water bodies. In fact Goa can become a role model for other states to emulate as far as curbing of water pollution is concerned.
A pledge in this direction will save our beautiful state from the ravages of pollutants and toxic chemicals, a shot in the arm for each and every resident of this state.
ELVIDIO MIRANDA, by email
