PANAJI
Furious over the State government’s failure to adopt concrete steps to tackle the Cuncolim industrial pollution, the opposition benches were all-out against Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira, who informed the House that the groundwater and air quality in and around the industrial estate were within permissible limits and that settlements at the outskirts are involved in discharging wastewater into the nearby canal.
Despite the opposition’s disagreement with the findings, the Minister stood firm on the report presented by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) while assuring to develop a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) to ensure no degradation of the environment.
Additionally, the fish meal plants would be asked to install bio-filters to arrest the emission of foul odour.
The Assembly witnessed a heated debate on Cuncolim industrial pollution during a calling attention motion moved by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira.
They pointed out that air pollution, odour pollution, water pollution, and solid hazardous waste are chronic issues at the industrial estate, with locals protesting against them for the past few months.
The MLAs urged the government to take steps to curb pollution by setting up ETPs, installing live monitoring stations, establishing a GSPCB branch at Cuncolim IDC, and forming a rapid response team to handle pollution complaints.
Sardesai and Quepem MLA Alton D’Costa refused to accept the findings of the Board, claiming that the ground reality is different from the report.
D’Costa challenged the Minister and Board officials to spend a few days in Cuncolim at his expense to witness the situation firsthand.
Earlier, Sardesai criticized the government for failing to address pollution issues and failing to identify the main cause, which locals attribute to fish meal operators.
In response to the allegations, the Environment Minister stood firm, stating that the Board had conducted inspections and ground water studies, revealing parameters within permissible limits.
Sequeira further informed that based on environmental audits, the Board issued closure directions to 10 units for operating without consent and one for discharging effluents outside the premises.
Backing Sequeira, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the House that the State government, in consultation with a German firm, will soon develop a common ETP at the industrial estate, with recycled water supplied to steel plants. He emphasized the necessity to halt air and water pollution.
In a separate development, the Environment Minister announced that the State enlisted the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, to study the hazardous waste dump at Cuncolim. The institute will conduct a feasibility study and characterize the waste to determine its disposal or potential alternate use, in accordance with NGT directives.
Additionally, the Board invited Request for Proposal from M/s. Ponda Envirocare Ltd., a permitted agency for handling common hazardous waste treatment facility for disposal, at an estimated cost of Rs 14.63 crore.
