MARGAO
Upping the ante against air and water pollution, Cuncolkars returned to the Cuncolim Industrial Estate once again on Saturday to demand an end to acute pollution and to save the people from health hazards and destruction.
On the previous Sunday, people had witnessed untreated water gushing out of the industrial estate into the adjoining drains before it found its way into the nearby rivulets.
This time around, they saw for themselves how smoke from the industrial estate was not moving out from the chimneys but was coming through the doors and windows of the units, indicating that the chimneys were in operation to suck up the smoke generated in the units.
Agitated villagers who signed a memorandum to be addressed to the concerned authorities to stop the pollution have vowed to take the movement to a logical conclusion.
They pointed out that Cuncolkars have suffered from pollution for too long and are determined to unite to stop the health hazards posed by the polluting units.
Women and children also spoke of the dust pollution they have been facing over the years, complaining of dust and ash settling inside their houses.
“Why should the people face the pollution and suffer from diseases such as cancer and asthma, etc.? The government should immediately intervene and stop the pollution,” the women demanded.
The people also noticed construction work outside the IDC area, believed to be for a new industrial estate, and demanded that the authorities, including the district authorities, immediately stop the ongoing work at the site.
Vijay Prabhu told the media that around 700 people have signed the memorandum, following the call made at the meeting held outside the Cuncolim IDC last Sunday.
“If necessary, we will meet again the coming Sunday for more people to sign the memorandum. We are resolute in our demand to stop industrial pollution,” he said.
Referring to the media report stating that the Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), Mahesh Patil, has collected water samples from the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, Prabhu said the people welcome the action but hastened to add that the GSPCB should next time also hand over the samples of the people for testing in a private laboratory.
Calangute-based activist Walter Lobo, who came to express solidarity with the people suffering from industrial pollution, demanded that Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral should give top priority to ending the pollution in Cuncolim.
He urged Cuncolkars not to give up their ongoing battle against pollution, emphasizing that the children will have to face the brunt and effects of pollution in the future.
Kabir Moraes expressed his satisfaction that Cuncolkars are joining the battle against pollution.
“In the past, attempts to control pollution turned out to be an eyewash. This time, the people are determined to get positive results. Since last Sunday, when people launched the movement against pollution, we have seen some effect somewhere as the units seemed to be transporting the sewage out of the area,” he said, while commending Cuncolkars for joining the movement.
Cuncolim MLA and Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao’s close aide, Assis Norohna, informed the people that the MLA is firmly behind them.
Yuri, who is currently out of town, has raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly on more than five occasions and recently wrote a letter to the district Collector, South, about the construction of a shed outside the industrial estate.
While maintaining that the movement against pollution is non-political, the people believe that anyone can join the movement to stop pollution.
Former Cuncolim Municipal Vice-Chairperson Shashank Desai urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to stop the industrial pollution at the Cuncolim IDC before the commissioning of the permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Cuncolim, which is just meters away from the IDC.
