MARGAO
Saying that use of thermocol boxes to transport fish to the wholesale fish market has been banned by the fish traders association as well as by the SGPDA, the Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association has said the Margao Municipal Council is free to initiate action against anyone using thermocol boxes outside the fish market.
Terming the allegations in respect of environmental pollution caused by the members of the Association as totally false and incorrect, the Association has requested the MMC Chief Officer to drop the show cause notice issued.
In the reply filed to the show cause notice issued by the MMC, Association President M Ibrahim pointed out that the members of the Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association is carrying on the wholesale fish business inside the compound wall well demarcated for the business by the SGPDA.
“Our Association has banned thermocol boxes long time back and no member of our Association is using the same. The SGPDA has also banned the use of thermocol boxes and they check the vehicles before sending them inside the wholesale fish market,” Ibrahim said.
He added: “Our association is concerned about the members only who carry on the wholesale business. Also there are restrictions on members as regards sale of fish in small quantities. The fish vendors and the contractors mentioned by you are not the members of association and several times in past we have requested you and the SGPDA to stop the retail fish vendors and the contractors from doing business in the vicinity of the market.”
Vehemently denying the allegations that the members of the association are causing environmental pollution in the vicinity of the wholesale fish market, Ibrahim said, ‘the pollution caused is outside the area demarcated for wholesale fish market and our members carry on the business in demarcated area only’.
Even presuming and not admitting that if any activities contrary to the rules of the Association are carried out by the members outside the demarcated area, he said the Association cannot be held responsible for the same.
Secondly, he said the fish vendors or the contractors as mentioned in the show cause notice are not authorised by the wholesale fish market association, adding that the MMC is free to take action against them as may be deemed fit.
