MARGAO
Devastated and contaminated by discharge of raw sewage from the commercial capital, the river Sal, the lifeline of Salcete, may find another pollutant entering the river this monsoons.
In fact, tons of thermocol waste strewn all round Goa’s lone wholesale fish market at Margao may find its way into the river Sal unless the SGPDA or the authorities step in to stop the boxes from flowing into the river. Besides thermocol boxes, waste strewn outside the wholesale fish market comprising of broken thermocol waste, may also find its way in the river.
A visit on the banks of river Sal near the wholesale fish market revealed that a few thermocol boxes have almost landed in the river, which is flowing in full spate in the last two days. A look at the surroundings further revealed that thermocol boxes have all been dumped around the market premises, which may just find its way into the river.
Questions are being raised how thermocol boxes have found its way in the wholesale fish market when fish is being transported by outstation trucks in plastic crates. This has only thrown up questions whether thermocol boxes are being used to bring in fish by long distance trains unloaded at the Margao railway station.
Questions have been further raised whether fish brought in by thermocol boxes enters the wholesale fish market or is the fish sold by the vehicles along the road side outside the market.
“The very fact that thermocol boxes have been thrown around the wholesale fish market indicates that some of the fish importers are using the boxes to transport fish. The SGPDA should find out how there are thermocol boxes thrown outside the wholesale fish market”, informed a citizen in the know.
The citizen added: “The fact that thermocol boxes are used to transport fish to the market should spur the authorities, including the SGDPA to lift them away before they all enter the Sal and pollute the river”.
The area in and around the wholesale fish market was spruced up and cleaned during the two-day meeting of Foreign Ministers at a starred resort at Benaulim, giving a facelift to the market, only to slip back into the rot after the conference.
