PANAJI
Over 90 per cent of industries generating hazardous waste have failed to ensure safe treatment and disposal of their waste through State’s Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (CHWTSDF) at Pissurlem.
Coming down heavily on these industries, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) might issue closer notices to such units for failing to adhere to government directions.
In an immediate action, the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has directed GSPCB not to grant or renew the consent to operate as well as authorization to all such industries that are yet to register with the government agency for safe disposal of hazardous waste.
During the recently held meeting with regards to collection and disposal of hazardous waste, the GWMC informed that as of today there are 377 major hazardous waste generating industries in the State, of which 101 industries have registered with the Goa Industries Environment Management Association (GIEMA) but only 30 have executed the BI-partite agreement with Ponda Envocare Limited -- that operates CHWTSDF -- for disposal of the hazardous waste.
“It was decided in the past that all the hazardous waste generating industries will register with GIEMA and dispose their generated hazardous waste only at the Pissurlem site as per the guidelines,” GWMC member secretary Levinson Martins said.
“It was also decided that if the industries are not registered GIEMA and do not deposit the waste at CHWTSDF to dispose it then the GSPCB should not grant or renew the consent and authorization of all such industries,” Martins added further.
He said that during the meeting it was decided that, despite granting them time, if the industries neither become members with GIEMA and nor sending their waste to the facility, in that case the GSPCB may issue closer notices to such units.
For now, the Board is asked to ensure that their consent to operate and authorization is not renewed and grant them time till register.
“We have also asked the Goa Industries Development Corporation to issue notices to non-registered hazardous units to get registered at the earliest,” he said.
