Tyre bursts while cutting vehicle; locals want scrapyards shifted, threaten bandh
MARGAO
The ghost of scrapyards came back to haunt the people of Fatorda after a blast reported at a scrapyard at Chandrawado left two workers injured with burn injuries on Wednesday.
The blast brought back bitter memories when a blast at a scrapyard had killed a worker and injuring two others over a decade ago.
The Fatorda police who registered a fire accident at the scrapyard, pointed out that two workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar working at the premises, sustained burn injuries in the incident. They were rushed to the South Goa district hospital, from where they have been shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim later in the evening.
Fatorda police station in-charge, PI Ditendra Naik informed that the two workers, Baban Singh (53), a native of Aurangabad-Bihar and Jivala Prasad (45), a native of Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, both residing at Chandrawado sustained burn injuries when a tyre of a vehicle exploded when they were engaged in cutting the vehicle with gas cutters.
“The police have registered a case of fire incident for the moment. The two workers, who have sustained burn injuries have been shifted to the GMC, Bambolim. The duo is not in a condition to give statement,” he said, adding that the police would apply the offences after investigations.
Even as BJP-backed councillor Camilo Barretto has demanded shifting of all scrapyards from Fatorda to the industrial estate and threatened to call for a Fatorda bandh again, sources said that Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Margao DySP Shivendu Bhushan was scheduled to inspect the scrapyard later in the evening with Fatorda police.
Margao Municipal councillor Camilo Barretto told the media that this is the third such incident in a scrapyard at Chandrawado in the last 10 years. He recalled that a worker had died in the same scrapyard around 2011 following a blast. “I had called for a Fatorda bandh on the issue of scrapyards over a decade ago. I will not hesitate to give another call for a bandh if the scrapyards are not shifted to the industrial estates,” he added.
Demanding to know under whose political patronage the scrapyards are operating in the Chandrawado area of Fatorda, Camilo further demanded that the police should find whether these scrapyards have permission to operate in the area. “Pollution is taking place at the scrapyards because of gas cutting and welding. The operators should be stopped from causing nuisance and health hazard for the locals,” he demanded.
A local resident Noor Sayed pointed out that the scrapyard in a residential locality has been posing nuisance and a health hazard to the local residents because of the pollutants released in the air during gas cutting and cutting of vehicles.
Another resident Conceissao Barbosa rued that no action has been forthcoming from the authorities against the scrapyards operating in residential areas in Fatorda. “The local residents have been facing issues of pollution and infection because of cutting of vehicles with gas cutters,” he said, and wondered why the authorities have been going slow against the illegal scrapyards.
He further said the Chandrawado road was widened for smooth movement of vehicular traffic, but lamented that scrap vehicles are being parked alongside the road in violation of all rules.
