Cuncolkars set 10-day deadline to scrap fish meal plant

Cuncolim leaders and residents gather to protest GSPCB clearance for proposed fish meal plant. Santosh Mirajkar

MARGAO
Cuncolkars sounded the war bugle against the controversial fish meal plant, with Leader of Opposition and Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao serving a 10-day deadline on the government to withdraw the Consent to Establish for the fish meal plant or face the wrath of the people.
A day after the Goa State Pollution Control Board granted the Consent to Establish to Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd to set up the fish meal plant outside the Cuncolim IDC limits, the Opposition leader warned of massive protests after the 10-day deadline, warning that the government will be solely responsible for any law and order situation.
Yuri, along with Cuncolim Municipal Council chairperson Landry Mascarenhas, councillors, and citizens, staged a protest outside his office on Tuesday after the GSPCB issued the Consent to Establish to Ms Goa Marine Implex Pvt Ltd, overruling objections submitted by the civic body and citizens.
'Govt ignored sentiments'
Saying that the government has taken a major decision in support of the fish meal plant by going against the sentiments of Cuncolkars, Yuri reminded Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that the Cuncolim Industrial Estate has been a curse on the people of Cuncolim.
“We feel sad that the government paid no heed to the cries and objections of Cuncolkars against the fish meal plant. Citizens had protested against the fish meal plant by citing the pollution caused by the existing fish meal plant, but the government and the GSPCB ignored the sentiments and complaints,” he said.
Referring to the hazardous legacy waste left behind at the Cuncolim IDC for the last decade and a half, the Leader of Opposition pointed out that the Chief Minister had only handed out promises and assurances to transport the hazardous waste out of the Cuncolim IDC, but in vain.
He added: “The people of Cuncolim are aware of the promoters of the fish meal plant. They know which MLAs have stakes in the projects. Villagers of Barcem village in Quepem taluka had opposed the fish meal plant before it was shifted to Cuncolim. The MLAs should set up the plant in their respective constituencies,” he said.
He warned: “If the government does not withdraw the Consent to Establish by February end, we will have a massive agitation. The government will be solely responsible for any law and order situation. The government only understands the agitation language. I will write to the CM and the GSPCB to revoke the consent, or else the people of Cuncolim along with Goans from across the state will take to the streets.”
Activist Aviraj Desai demanded that the GSPCB set up an effective pollution control mechanism, saying that people have been subjected to both air and water pollution over the years.
Fears of more polluting units
Apprehension has been raised in Cuncolim that GSPCB’s decision to grant Consent to Establish the fish meal plant to Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd will open the floodgates for similar or other industries outside the Cuncolim IDC limits.
For, the fish meal plant is perhaps the first orange industry which has received consent to establish the plant outside the Cuncolim IDC jurisdiction. While the GSPCB has claimed that the Board decided to issue the consent to establish the fish meal plant on technical and scientific aspects, locals fear that there will be no end to fish meal plants or other industries coming up outside the Cuncolim IDC and close to the residential localities.
Already, the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board has issued a proclamation inviting public objections for the setting up of the proposed steel rolling mill outside the Cuncolim IDC.
The Opposition leader said if the fish meal plant approved by the GSPCB is not scrapped, fish meal and other industries will flood Cuncolim outside the Cuncolim IDC one day.
====
Cuncolim council calls meet to plan response
MARGAO: Cuncolim municipal chairperson Landry Mascarenhas has convened an emergency meeting of the Council on Wednesday to take stock of the consent to establish granted by the Goa State Pollution Control Board to the fish meal plant and to chalk out a future course of action.
While reminding that Cuncolkars had led a revolt against the Portuguese and played a major role in Goa’s Liberation movement, Mascarenhas said the people of Cuncolim will not be cowed down by any threats from the government or individuals.
“People of Cuncolim will go to any extent to stop the fish meal plant. The people of Barcem village had successfully opposed the fish meal plant. Now they are trying to push the plant down the throats of Cuncolkars. But they will never succeed. We will fight till the last to stop the plant from coming up. We will not allow the promoters to murder our people by causing pollution,” he said.
The CMC had earlier rejected the NOC sought by Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd to set up buildings to house the fish meal plant.