Owners comply to conditions in Consent to Operate; pay environmental compensation, bank guarantees
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira hands over letters from the GSPCB revoking the suspension of operations at the fish units at the Cuncolim IDC.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has revoked the orders suspending operations of the four fish units at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, including a fish meal plant and three fish processing units, after the owners paid the environmental compensation and also submitted bank guarantees mandating the units to operate the plants in compliance to the conditions containing in the Consent to Operate.
Each of the four units has paid the environment compensation amounting to Rs 7,812 and Rs 1 lakh guarantee to the Pollution Control Board.
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira handed over the revocation orders passed by the GSPCB to the owners of the units, paving the way for the de-sealing of the units. A team of Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar later on Friday evening headed to the Cuncolim Industrial Estate to de-seal the units.
A glance at the separate but identical letters issued for the revocation of directions issued under Section 33(A) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, GSPCB Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro said the suspension orders are being revoked since the erring units have paid the environmental compensation and they have deposited the bank guarantee with the Board.
Dr Monteiro further pointed out that the Board has conducted another inspection of the units which indicated that the discharge of untreated effluents from the units has been stopped.
The four units, besides a distillery, were all sealed around a fortnight ago after an inspection of the units by the GSPCB officials showed that they were operating in violation of the conditions as contained in the Consent to Operate.
New conditions in Consent to Operate for United Marine
MARGAO: The Goa State Pollution Control Board has imposed new conditions in the Consent to Operate on the fish meal plant, Ms United Marine Products located at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. In the order passed by GSPCB Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro, the Pollution Control Board has told United Marine to ensure that all the raw material in the form of fish is brought to the unit in insulated/refrigerated vehicles only. These vehicles, the order stated, should be equipped with a containment system for the collection of fish/ice water generated from the raw material transported by them.
The unit is also required to submit action plan to the Board for the reduction of odour generated within the premises of the unit during its operation. The fish meal plant has been further directed to bear the cost of the “study for odour monitoring and control” that is being carried out/ commissioned by the Board in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate.
All other conditions mentioned in the renewal of Consent to Operate under the Water Act and Air Act and authorisation under the hazardous wastes remains unchanged.
