Civic complaint triggers GSPCB inspection at Mapusa sub-yard

Cattle forage through heaps of garbage at the Mapusa market sub-yard, where alleged illegal dumping and blocked drainage have raised pollution and flooding concerns.

MAPUSA
Within hours of a memorandum submitted by the civic group Together for Mapusa to the North Goa Collector, officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) conducted an inspection at the Mapusa market sub-yard over alleged illegal dumping at the site.
GSPCB officials surveyed the area and collected photographic evidence during the inspection.
A board official said a report on the findings would be submitted shortly, following which appropriate action, if required, would be initiated.
Earlier in the day, Together for Mapusa president Mahesh Rane, along with other office-bearers, met North Goa Collector Ankit Yadav (IAS) and apprised him of the situation at the sub-yard, submitting a detailed memorandum.
In the memorandum, the group alleged that environmental violations were taking place at the site, stating that a drain behind the Mapusa market – along the boundary of the sub-yard – had been completely blocked due to illegal filling.
“This deliberate obstruction of the city’s natural drainage system has created a high-stakes emergency, placing the market area and nearby residential zones at immediate risk of flooding. The entire market area could flood this monsoon with no outlet,” the memorandum, signed by Rane and general secretary Jitesh Kamat, stated.
The group further alleged that garbage, including plastic waste, was being openly burnt at the site, causing severe pollution.
Seeking urgent intervention, the group demanded immediate action from the district administration and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), including the registration of an FIR against those responsible for burning waste.
It also called for a stop-work order and an injunction to halt all filling activities at the site.
Additionally, the memorandum urged authorities to conduct a joint site inspection involving the revenue department, Water Resources Department (WRD), Town and Country Planning (TCP) department and the forest department.
It also sought an emergency drone survey to assess the extent of filling and encroachment.
The group further demanded restoration of a minimum three-metre-wide stream channel connecting the market to the Mapusa river, along with temporary boulder protection to prevent further blockage.
Warning of legal recourse, the group said that if a stop-work order is not issued within 48 hours, it would seek judicial intervention.