PANAJI
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has appointed National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for undertaking characterisation of hazardous waste dump of M/s Sunrise Zinc Ltd, located in Cuncolim Industrial Estate.
Sources informed that NEERI has already collected samples of the dump for analysis and the report will be submitted to the Board shortly. “The NEERI report will help us to understand the present condition of the dump and will be feasible to remediate or relocate to the Pissurlem landfill site, as proposed before,” sources said.
Around 30,000 tons of hazardous zinc waste has piled up in the form of dump at Cuncolim industrial area since 2007. The dump is categorised as one of the contaminated sites by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Sources informed that in 2021, the Board had decided to transport the hazardous waste from Cuncolim IDC to Pissurlem landfill site, and for which the State government had sanctioned Rs 5 crore. “However, it was decided to undertake study of the dump before relocating it,” sources said.
The Board had sought a total grant of Rs 13 crore from the government to rid the Cuncolim Industrial Estate of the hazardous waste accumulated there.
Thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste has been lying abandoned by Nicomet and Sunrise Zinc factories which was shut following High Court order after two separate petitions highlighted the rising environmental pollution due to the industrial units.
