Panchayat in representation to govt, raises objections to NOC
MARGAO
As Ms Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd located at Naqueri-Betul has approached the Chief Secretary for issue of NOC for the storage of gunpowder (propellant) in Magazine No. 2, it has come to light that the South Goa district Collector had withdrawn and cancelled the NOC last month for alleged multiple violations of the No Objection Certificate issued to the company under the Explosives Rules, 2008 dated November 12, 2024.
In another development, the Village Panchayat of Naqueri-Betul has made a representation to the Chief Secretary, raising its strong objection to the NOC sought by the company for the purpose of storage of explosives in the plot bearing survey no 82/1 of the village.
The gunpowder storage at Naqueri-Betul had come under lens after the fire cum explosion reported in Magazine No. 1 located on the plateau on March 20 last.
A glance at the reasons cited by the district Collector for the withdrawal and cancellation of the NOC sought by the company was that the facility was found to be storing around 11,000 kg of gunpowder in magazine No. 2 without obtaining the necessary prior approval from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO).
The Collector had further found that the company had failed to obtain the mandatory NOC under the Explosives Rules before storing the explosives in Magazine No. 2. “The absence of a valid NOC indicates a clear violation of safety protocols governing the storage, handling and transportation of hazardous material. Failure to obtain the required NOC not only contravenes the Explosives Act, 1884m, but also puts the lives of workers, emergency responders and nearby residents at serious risk. The unapproved expansion of explosive storage without appropriate clearance from regulatory bodies reflects a lack of due diligence and gross negligence in handling dangerous materials,” the Collector had observed.
That’s not all. The Collector had pointed out that the facility did not obtain a construction licence from the Village Panchayat of Naqueri-Betul before undertaking developmental activities at the site. “This constitutes a direct violation of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, which mandates that any development or construction activity must have prior approval from the local governing body. The absence of such a licence raised serious concerns regarding the structural integrity, environmental compliance and adherence to zoning regulations,” it was observed.
It was further observed that the land conversion sanad under section 32 of the Goa Land Revenue Code was not obtained for survey No. 82/1 of Naqueri village, resulting in the facility operating on agricultural or non-converted land without the requisite legal authorisation. “This constitutes a violation of land-use regulation, as any non-agricultural use of land without prior conversion sanad from the competent authority is unlawful,” the Collector had observed.
The district Collector had further observed that the facility lacked a proper motorable access road, thereby violating the safety norms that mandate unobstructed access for emergency vehicles, including fire tenders, ambulances and law enforcement personnel. “On the day of the incident, emergency response teams struggled to reach the site due to the absence of a dedicated access route to the magazines. This results in delay in fire-fighting and rescue operations,” the Collector had observed.
