the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has told the National Green Tribunal that it will have a "time-bound action plan" in black and white in two weeks time on how to tackle pollution in River Mandovi.
The Pollution Control Board was responding to a petition filed by Kashinath Shetye, who placed before the Tribunal a grievance regarding "the mass scale pollution of River Mandovi from various sources namely floating casinos, all kinds of water boats including barges, ferryboats, hotels, residential complexes, houses along the banks of River Mandovi".
Back in July the National Green Tribunal had constituted a committee to draw up an action plan to tackle the
menace.
"Constitute a Committee of GSPCB, GCZMA, Captain of Ports, Corporation of City of Panjim and Director of Health Services to formulate a suitable action plan for addressing the grievance of pollution in River Mandovi. The Committee shall be headed by Member Secretary, GSPCB and shall consist Member Secretary, GCZMA, Captain of Ports, Commissioner of Corporation of City of Panjim and Director of Health Services," the Tribunal of Justice U D Salvi and expert member Nagin Nanda had ruled in July this year with orders being sent to the Pollution Control Board on July 24.
"The Committee shall formulate time bound action plan and present the same before the Tribunal within six weeks. The Committee shall also reveal the monetary source for putting the action plan into action," the Tribunal further ruled.
Initially, the Goa State Pollution Control Board had argued that it was regularly monitoring the water quality of River Mandovi and the database showing the scale of pollution and its sources has been built over a passage of time.
But the Tribunal was of the opinion that the grievance made in the application can be addressed by putting in place a time-bound action plan based on the data-base with the GSPCB.
The NGT has warned that "any further delay in furnishing the plan will entail compensatory costs."
