MARGAO
Fish meal and fish processing plants in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate have been mandated to install “flow meters” at the units, connected to the Goa State Pollution Control Board, to keep a track on the quantum used by the units and the discharge of water.
The GSPCB will also rope in an agency as per the instructions of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to conduct an inspection to ascertain whether the treated effluents can be utilised for the steel units at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate.
After handing over letters issued by the GSPCB revoking the sealing of the units at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira told the media that he is keen in putting a mechanism in place at Cuncolim to keep a track of the water consumed and discharged by the units. “The units have been told to install flow meters, which will be connected by the GSPCB for monitoring. The units will have to install the meters at their own cost,” he said.
Sounding a warning to the fish meal and fish processing units, the Environment Minister warned that the units will be closed permanently if they are again found violating the terms and conditions contained in the Consent to Operate. “I do not want to go into the past history of the pollution, but if the measures proposed by the GSPCB are implemented, it will help contain pollution at the Cuncolim IDC,” he added.
Asserting that he means business, Sequeira said the GSPCB will closely monitor the situation to ensure that untreated effluents are not discharged in the open.
He further said that he had fixed a meeting with the Goa IDC as per the Chief Minister’s instructions to find out whether the treated effluents from the fish processing units are used by the steel units.
