GSPCB chief claims govt has promised to sanction part of total funds to cart away waste
MARGAO
Just before the onset of monsoons, the Cuncolim Industrial Estate had yet again witnessed the annual ritual – Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) personnel on the job to cover the hazardous zinc waste dump inside the estate in a bid to prevent the waste from contaminating the water bodies.
The South West monsoons have almost retreated and Cuncolkars are back with the same old question – Will the BJP-led government sanction funds to lift away the 30,000 tons of hazardous zinc waste from Cuncolim to the landfill site at Pissurlem at least before the next monsoons?
This question assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of repeated assurances handed out by the government on the floor of the House to questions tabled by Opposition leader and Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao over the last one year that the hazardous zinc waste will be carted out of Cuncolim to Pissurlem.
Sadly, the ground reality remains unchanged. Consider this. The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had finally decided to transport the hazardous waste from Cuncolim IDC to Pissurlem landfill site, more than a decade after the waste dump was left abandoned by Ms Sunrise Zinc at the industrial estate.
Funds required towards the transportation of the hazardous waste, around Rs 13 crore to be precise, however, have not been forthcoming from the government till date. Despite promises galore, funds have not been sanctioned for the transportation project till date.
GSPCB Chairman Mahesh Patil told The Goan that the government has promised to sanction portion of the total funds to start the work to begin with. However, the funds are yet to come into the Pollution Control Board treasury till date, only raising fears and apprehensions that the hazardous waste zinc dump will require covering in the next monsoon as well if the waste is not transported to the Pissurlem landfill site before the onset of monsoons.
Says GSPCB Chairman Patil: “Once we receive the funds, the Board will first clear the top portion of the waste mound. When a sizeable portion of the waste is transported to the landfill site, we may think of conducting a test whether the waste lying underneath is still hazardous or not. If the waste conforms to the laid down parameters, then the question of sending the waste to the landfill site may not arise. In that case, it will be remediated at the site and the waste can be used for building of roads.”
Cuncolkars, however, demand to know why the hazardous zinc dump is not on the government’s priority list when crores of rupees have been spent to remediate the Sonsodo legacy dump.
Says Cuncolim-based social activist, Dr Jorson Fernandes, “Just imagine that the Zinc waste mound lay abandoned at the Cuncolim IDC since 2007 is not attended to till date. The waste must have contaminated water bodies and underground water over the years. It is indeed sad that even after 15 long years, the government cannot arrange Rs 13 crore on priority to remove and transport the waste dump to the landfill site.”
