OLD GOA
The Merces panchayat has issued a show-cause notice to the owner of a scrapyard operating in the low-lying area of Morombi-O-Grande.
In the notice, the owner/occupier/operator has been given 15 days to reply to the notice as to why action should not be initiated against the alleged illegal scrapyard.
The panchayat has further stated that if the reply is not satisfactory or if it is not received within the stipulated period, it will proceed to stop all illegal activities conducted and the cost will be recovered from the owner/occupier/operator.
It may be recalled that The Goan had highlighted that irregularities were observed during the inspection of scrapyard by the Merces panchayat authorities on June 13.
Different types of waste including bio-medical, electronics, scrap material, etc were seen dumped around a huge area.
Massive land filling of a low-lying area was also done with 40 huge containers being stored in the area.
RG leader petitions
minister over illegalities
Even as Merces panchayat has issued a show-cause notice to the owner of the scrapyard operating at Morombi-O-Grande, Revolutionary Goans leader Ajay Kholkar has petitioned Forest Minister Vishwajeet Rane, who also holds the portfolio of TCP.
The petition has been emailed by Kholkar on the email [email protected] as the minister had asked the people to report any illegalities or destruction done to land/protected areas/eco-sensitive zones.
In the petition, Kholkar has claimed that a scrapyard is illegal operating in Morombi-O-Grande, Merces, with the operator having undertaken illegal filling of low-lying area, destruction of mangroves and dumping of chemical containers.
“The operator has some destructive plans in his mind as he has dumped around 40 huge chemical containers, resulting into destruction of mangroves,” Kholkar states.
He has further enclosed photographs as evidence to his claims while also attaching copies of show-cause notice and inspection report prepared by Merces panchayat.
