VASCO
A group of residents from Nuvem constituency protested on Friday and decided to oppose the proposed Solid Waste Management Plant at Verna.
Addressing reporters in Verna on Friday evening, Everson Vales said the recent press release from the Goa Expert Appraisal Committee (GSEAC), putting clearance for the Solid Waste Management Plant (SWMP) at Verna on hold, is a perfect case study of how government and its agencies operate in an ad hoc manner, showing scant respect for the law or due processes that are mandatory.
“It was interesting that the GSEAC has instructed the project proponent to conduct “new public hearings” and collect “community inputs” when no public hearing has been actually held so far, or ground truthing conducted.”
“If it had, then it would have been clear that the plant was being set up on a huge aquifer that is the origin of various springs that feed the Ambulor lake, which is the starting point of River Sal that runs through entire South Goa upto Betul,” said Vales.
Social activist Zarine Da Cunha said the plant was being set up at a mere 350 metres from human habitation and nestling close to a number of pharma industries.
“It is also strange that the GSEAC has not questioned the cut-and-paste project report brazenly submitted by the proponents giving totally false, misleading and inaccurate information despite constituents of Nuvem constituency bringing it to their notice,” said Da Cunha.
“For instance, the distance between the Mahalsa temple has been recorded as 10.7 kms, whereas the actual distance in reality is 2.2 kms from the site. There is also a chapel standing 239 metres from the site of the proposed plant. Does the government believe that religious structures deserve to co-exist cheek by jowl to a garbage plant,” asked Da Cunha.
Social activist Arvind Menezes said the Goa Waste Management Corporation and government agencies concerned have shown their incapability/unwillingness and total unresponsiveness to public complaints.
“Constituents of Nuvem Constituency will under no circumstances permit this contentious project detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the ecology of the villages and their people to be foisted in their midst,” said Menezes.
