PANAJI
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has recommended continued monitoring of industrial units at Bethora to prevent the recurrence of foul odour in the area, as successive inspections found an improvement in conditions after the units took measures to control pollution.
In its inquiry report released on Friday, the commission noted that the latest joint site inspection, conducted on October 26, found no discharge from United Spirits Ltd and United Breweries Ltd into the Bethora nullah and a reduction in foul odour. It then recommended that Goa State Pollution Control Board, the Bethora-Nirancal-Conxem-Codari Village Panchayat and Directorate of Health Services continue monitoring the situation to prevent the odour from returning.
The first joint site inspection on August 5 found foul odour within the premises of the two units, after which the Bethora village panchayat issued a notice to United Breweries Ltd, directing the company to take steps to remove effluent treatment plant (ETP) sludge from its premises and the nullah, stop waste discharge into the waterway and address the foul odour and pollution.
A subsequent joint inspection on September 23 found no discharge from either company into the nullah and recorded a reduction in foul odour. The companies had undertaken measures to control the smell, while the GSPCB collected treated water samples from the effluent treatment plant and sewage treatment plant.
The latest inspection on October 26 again found no discharge into the Bethoda nullah and a reduction in foul odour.
