MAPUSA
Four days after the firefighters used nearly 2 lakh litres of water besides foam to douse a deadly fire that engulfed a warehouse of a paint factory at the Pilerne Industrial Estate, residents of Saipem-Candolim were in for a shock when they noticed a thin layer of oil-like screen floating in their well water which had also turned darkish in colour.
The villagers also found the water “frothy” with a typical “nail polish” like smell.
The unfortunate fire incident has also rekindled old wounds, when around 15 years back the residents under the banner of Saipem Villagers Anti-Pollution Front had unsuccessfully fought for re-location of the paint factory after several of their wells had got contaminated.
The word that water in at least two wells has got contaminated caused panic in the (Saipem) ward, with around 1,500 residents who are now planning to take up the cudgels against the paint factory.
“Till some days ago, everything seemed fine. But suddenly on Friday evening, the water that we pump from our well came with an unusual frothy flow and had a smell of nail polish. On Saturday morning we saw an oily film in the water and with a little darkish in colour,” said Lydia Lasrado.
“A lot of my neighbours also use the water from my well. As it is, very few wells remain with good water in the village and this phenomenon has cast further shadow on its existence,” she added.
Another local, Godwin Noronha, also came up with a similar complaint that his well water too had turned blackish in colour and had a foul smell.
“We use the well water for washing and gardening. For drinking we use Bisleri water. This incident has further increased our travails as now we won’t have well water or PWD water since we are located at a height,” Noronha exclaimed.
The recent fire incident which threw up toxic fumes and left a strong smell all around has given fresh ammunition to the concerned villagers who have renewed their demand to relocate the paint factory.
“Almost 90 percent of the wells in Saipem and Orda areas in Candolim are contaminated. For the last 15 years we have been fighting because of the water pollution in our area against the company. This fire is the last nail in the coffin of the villagers. Our village existed before the factory set shop. We want the factory to be relocated to some other place,” said Assis Cardozo, a resident and a businessman of Saipem.
According to another local, Vishnu Naik, who shares a common boundary with the paint factory, the highly toxic sludge discharged by the companies in the industrial estate sipped into the ground water which polluted the wells.
He said he has a cashew plantation in the area which has suffered for years due to the sewage released by the companies into his property.
“We have made numerous complaints, but to no avail. Several inspections and tests have also been conducted but all these tests have been manipulated by authorities with vested interest. Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) is good for nothing,” Naik moaned.
Acknowledging the contamination of wells within 200 metres radius, local panchayat member Dinesh Morajkar said the all-pervading toxic smell due to the fire has made life difficult in the village.
“Such companies which use chemicals in the manufacturing process should not be given permission in residential areas. We are in the process of collecting signatures and submitting a memorandum to the CM,” Morajkar said.
