MARGAO
Sending a message loud and clear that Cuncolim is against polluting units, the Cuncolim Municipal Council has in one voice rejected the application seeking NOC sought by Goan Marine Impex Pvt Ltd to set up the factory building for the proposed fish meal plant.
In another resolution adopted at the Special Meeting chaired by Chairperson Landry Mascarenhas, the Council has resolved to request the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to shut down the existing fish meal plant and other polluting units operating at the Cuncolim Industrial estate.
Both the ruling Congress-backed councillors and BJP-backed councillor joined hands to unanimously adopt the resolution to reject the NOC sought by Marine Impex Pvt Ltd to set up the fish meal plant outside the Cuncolim Industrial estate.
Participating in the discussions, both ruling and opposition Councillors were unanimous in their demand against the polluting units at the Cuncolim Industrial estate.
Councillor Udesh Desai sought to know from the Chairperson the exact proposal received from the company. When the CMC engineer explained that the Civic body had received the file on July 23, he demanded to know why it took two months for the Council to bring the issue to the attention of the Councillors. The engineer explained that the Civic body had asked the company to submit the documents, pointing out that the company had shown the road to the property through the Cuncolim Municipal Council-acquired land. He also informed that the file did not attach any conversion sanad.
After much discussions, which saw heated exchanged between Councillor Udesh Desai and former CMC Chairperson Laxman Naik, all the 14 councillors in one voice rejected the application seeking NOC for the fish meal plant.
Briefing the media after the meeting, CMC Chairperson Landry Mascarenhas said all the 14 Councilors have objected to the file seeking NOC for the fish meal plant. He further said the Council has adopted a resolution to ask the GSPCB to rein in on the pollution units at the Cuncolim IDC, including the fish meal plant.
Saying that Cuncolkars have suffered for too long from the acute pollution from the Cuncolim IDC, Landry said the government should crack a whip against pollution. He acknowledged the support from Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao to the Council to oppose the NOC for the fish meal plant
During discussion, former Chairperson Laxman Naik, who represents the ward adjoining the Cuncolim IDC, said though the issue of pollution has been plaguing the Cuncolim IDC over the decades, the issue could not be addressed for want of political will and bureaucratic apathy. He welcomed the stand of Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao against the pollution at the Cuncolim IDC.
