Sao Jose de Areal villagers on Tuesday have demanded immediate measures to control alleged pollution at the carbon factory in the village, even as officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) inspected the factory premises and adjoining residential houses following complaints of pollution.
GSPCB officials, who inspected the carbon factory and nearby houses, informed that they will soon monitor the ambient air quality in and around the factory premises.
Local villager and human rights groups demanded that the factory initiate immediate measures to control the pollution and save people from a health hazard.
“We are not demanding the closure of the carbon factory. Our demand to the carbon factory management is to only take adequate precautions to control the pollution,” remarked a villager, Peter Viegas. He warned that the villagers' patience is running out and they will be forced to take action if the pollution is not controlled by the management.
Convenor of the Council for Social justice and peace, Fr Savio Fernandes said that past inspections could not have the desired effect since the factory was found shut down.
”The exact status of the pollution will be known only when the factory is in operation,” he said.
Parish Priest of St Joseph Church, Sao Jose de Areal, Fr Richard Pinheiro said that something should be done to control the level of pollution taking into account the health of the children studying in the school in the immediate neighbourhood.
“We have to do something to save the future of the school children who are on the playground throughout the day. The entire area is besieged by carbon particles. No one can deny this fact,” Fr Pinheiro said.
Areal sarpanch Gabriel Oliveira told the media that the panchayat had in the past written to GSPCB to hold inspection of the factory in view of complaints of carbon pollution. Local women explained to GSPCB how their routine life has been hit hard as carbon particles from the factory settle right inside their homes.
