MARGAO
The Cuncolim Municipal Council’s decision to reject an application seeking a construction licence for a proposed fish meal plant may have come as a relief to local residents who have been waging a sustained campaign against fish meal and fish processing units operating at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate.
However, the decision has also brought renewed focus on a larger and more contentious question confronting the residents of the area: What is the status of the existing fish meal and fish processing units operating at the industrial estate, and are they complying with prescribed pollution-control norms?
Residents have for years raised concerns over alleged air and water pollution emanating from some of the fish meal and fish processing units at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. They fear that permitting additional units of a similar nature could further aggravate the problems they say they have been facing over the years.
The rejection of the construction licence application has therefore not brought the issue to an end. Instead, it has intensified the debate over the functioning of the existing units and the regulatory mechanisms in place to monitor their operations.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, who has described the municipal council’s decision as a victory for the people of Cuncolim, may now also face questions from residents and stakeholders on what further steps should be taken to address their concerns regarding the existing units.
At the heart of the issue are several questions. Are the existing fish meal and fish processing units operating strictly in accordance with the pollution-control norms and conditions prescribed by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB)? Have they complied with the conditions attached to those permissions? And does the GSPCB have an effective mechanism in place to regularly monitor emissions, effluents and other environmental impacts from the units operating at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate?
These questions have continued to trouble residents since fish meal and fish processing activities were established at the industrial estate.
Local residents say, the controversy essentially has two distinct but interconnected aspects.
Pollution Board’s fish unit directions face reality check
