MARGAO
All eyes are now focused on the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) after Cuncolkars, battling acute pollution at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, made a strong plea against the new fish meal plant proposed in the village.
At the hearing conducted by the GSPCB at the Board meeting chaired by Chairman, Levinson Martins on Thursday, the Cuncolim Municipal Council, besides interveners made a forceful plea opposing the fish meal project proposed by Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd on a host of grounds. Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson Landry Mascarenhas also attended the hearing.
They prayed that the GSPCB may: Reject consent to establish for the proposed fish meal at Cuncolim and impose a moratorium on new Red and Orange Category industries in Cuncolim until compliance and remediation are achieved.
On the other hand, the lawyer representing Ms Goan Marine Impex Pvt Ltd argued that the proponents have complied with the laid down guidelines and norms.
The GSPCB conducted the hearing based on the High Court directions to hearing the proponents of the fish meal plant as well as the interveners and parties opposing the project proposed in Cuncolim outside the Cuncolim Industrial Estate jurisdiction.
Intervener Dr Jorson Fernandes submitted before the Board that any grant of consent to establish the fish meal plant will add on to the existing pollution suffered by the residents of Cuncolim.
He pointed out that the residents of Cuncolim are tooth and nail objecting the setting up of the fish meal and fish oil industry as the same will add fuel to the fire. “There are already various fish processing units which have been set up in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate which have been polluting the air and water,” he said. Dr Jorson further submitted that the GSPCB has time and again and previously conducted various site inspections as against the existing plants and has also imposed huge penalty towards polluter pay principle, adding that setting up of an orange category industry is against the environment and will lead to further pollution of the air and water.
Dr Jorson made a plea to the GSPCB Chairman to hold a joint inspection of the site where the proposed fish meal plant is proposed by the company. He pointed out that the joint site inspection is required to assess the ground reality, claiming there is no road access to the property in question, insisting that the land where the road is proposed is a tenanted land.
His lawyer, Adv Tarun Rebello argued that the setting up of the proposed industry is in blantant violation of control of Water Pollution (Grant, refusal or cancellation of consent) guidelines, 2025.
He further argued that no licence has been obtained for setting up of factory in terms of Section 263 of the Goa Municipalities Act.
In his written submission, another intervener Aviraj Desai prayed to the Board to reject consent to establish for the proposed fish meal plant at Cuncolim and to impose a moratorium on new Red and Orange Category industries in Cuncolim until compliance and remediation are achieved.
He demanded that the Board direct the State to first provide a treatment infrastructure and strict enforcement.
No common ETP at Cuncolim
Intervener Aviraj Desai drew attention of the Board to the absence of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) “ a clear violation of Section 24, Water Act since Cuncolim Industrial Estate does not have a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) for treatment and disposal of industrial effluents. “In the absence of CETP infrastructure: Any discharge, seepage, or disposal of trade effluent directly or indirectly contaminates land and groundwater. Such activity attracts Section 24 of the Water Act, which prohibits disposal of polluting matter into any stream, well, sewer, or on land,” he said.
He added: “Granting consent to establish to a new effluent-generating industry without CETP would be contrary to the statutory mandate of prevention at source. The existing ETPs are non-operational/ inadequately functioning “ recorded by GSPCB as recorded in inspection reports, monitoring observations, and proceedings of GSPCB, several existing industries in Cuncolim: either do not have fully operational effluent treatment plants (ETPs), or operate ETPs intermittently or inadequately, resulting in untreated or partially treated effluents.
