SANGUEM
Villagers were instructed to evacuate their homes after toxic fumes from industrial and chemical waste were released following a major fire at an abandoned laterite stone quarry in the remote Chanimol ward of Kalay-Sanguem on Saturday.
The fire, which reportedly ignited in the morning, continued to burn fiercely late into the night and dangerously close to a residential area, creating panic among residents in the area.
Fire tenders were dispatched from the Curchorem fire station to extinguish the fire.
Curchorem Fire Officer Damodar Zambaulikar stated that while the core of the fire within the industrial waste had been contained to prevent its spread to nearby homes and a forest, the unpredictable blasts emanating from the site posed a significant risk to firefighters, as the nature of the dumped materials remained unknown.
Responding swiftly to the incident, Sanguem Deputy Collector Milind Velip along with the Sanguem Mamlatdar, Joint Mamlatdar, officials from Curchorem Police Station, and the Goa State Pollution Control Board, rushed to the scene and remained there late evening to assess the situation.
Given the intensity of the fire and the overpowering odour of chemicals and toxic fumes, Velip instructed residents in the vicinity to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure, seeking temporary shelter with relatives or neighbours due to the unknown nature of the dumped substances.
As of late Saturday evening, the identity of those responsible for dumping the large quantities of industrial and chemical waste remained unknown.
However, local residents alleged that the waste originated from the Verna Industrial Estate and was transported to the site using mini trucks.
They further claimed that the dumped material included industrial waste, and plastic and metal barrels, which they believe contained the chemical and industrial waste that triggered the fire and subsequent explosions.
To aid the fire service in controlling the blaze, authorities deployed two JCB machines late in the evening.
PUBLIC ANGER
Furious residents voiced their outrage against local panchayat member Babo Rekdo, accusing the panchayat of inaction despite prior complaints regarding the dumping of industrial and chemical waste into the stone quarry.
Ward member, Babu Rekdo, however, denied receiving any such complaints. He urged authorities to investigate those companies suspected of illegally disposing of industrial and chemical waste without the panchayat’s permission and to identify the landowner who permitted the unsafe dumping without necessary licences.
Countering Rekdo's claims, villagers claimed that the panchayat was well aware of the ongoing dumping of industrial and chemical waste over several months but had failed to intervene, thereby jeopardising their health.
A villager, Amar Naik, highlighted the proximity of the fire to residential areas and the potential devastation to local wildlife, demanding that those responsible for the illegal dumping be booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Another resident, Sushant Naik, called for immediate and stringent action against those who had endangered the lives of villagers by their reckless actions.
