THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA
The Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) on Thursday removed 11 scrapyards from various places in the Canacona municipality.
CMC Chairperson Sara Desai said these scrapyards were removed with the help of JCB machines.
Four months ago, CMC councillor Pandurang alias Dhiraj Naik Gaonkar had submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Collector's office seeking the removal of illegal scrapyards, failing which he had threatened to go on a hunger strike.
The scrapyard dealers were, however, complained that the demolition of the scrapyards could end up affecting the municipality.
“We collect scrap which accumulates in homes and offices and sell it. Due to this, the city and the surrounding areas remain clean. But since action was taken against our scrapyard, should we collect scrap from now onwards?” asked Umesh Lamani, owner of a scrapyard in Ponsulem-Canacona.
“And if we do collect scrap, where should we keep it?”
Lamani demanded that the government should provide space to scrapyard owners in the industrial estate.
“We are willing to pay the same rent to the government which we were paying to the landowner of the private land where our scrapyard was located.”
