GSPCB team checks Benaulim site, finds remnants of waste

GSPCB officials with Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira and activist Rudolf Barretto inspecting the waste dumping by the Margao Municipal Council.

Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar

MARGAO

Finally, officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) made their presence felt at Benaulim village on Thursday, around six days after the Benaulim Panchayat had brought to the Board’s notice dumping of trucks load of waste by the Margao Municipal Council.

When the GSPCB team along with village Sarpanch Xavier Fernandes and activist Rudolf Barretto descended at Benaulim on the banks of river Sal, they found that major chunk of the waste has been lifted back by the Margao Municipal Council.

The team, however, saw small quantity of the coconut waste still lying at the site, and has noted the presence of the balance waste lying at the site.

A GSPCB official said a notice will go to the Margao Municipal Council for unauthorized dumping of the waste from the city to the Benaulim village 

“Though major portion of the garbage seemed to have been carted away, we have come across coconut and garden waste lying a the site. A notice will go to the MMC seeking explanation on the waste dumping”, the official  added.

Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira said since the GSPCB team has found out the waste dumped in the village, the Board should initiate strict action against the Margao Municipal body. “We demand strict action against the MMC for dumping trucks load of waste  in our village”,  Xavier said.

Activist Rudolf Barretto, however, cried foul over the delay by the GSPCB in conducting the inspection of the waste dumping. 

“When the Panchayat and the villagers had complained on November 24, the GSPCB has sent its team only on November 30. The GSPCB has claimed they had other inspections to attend. Today, when the team  visited the site, they have come across only the balance waste since the MMC has lifted back the waste”, he said.

Rudolf added: “That the GSPCB was busy with other inspections is certainly not a valid reason from a performing government. If the Board is facing manpower constraints, the government should beef up the manpower requirements”.