MARGAO
The Cuncolim Municipal Council on Wednesday resolved to stand firm in its opposition to the controversial fish meal plant, with the civic body adopting a unanimous resolution to challenge the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s Consent to Establish granted to the project.
A meeting chaired by chairperson Landry Mascarenhas deliberated on the issue at an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning, wherein it was resolved to challenge GSPCB’s decision before the Administrative Tribunal.
The council also resolved to take steps to shut down the existing fish meal plant operating inside the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, saying the people of Cuncolim had been subjected to both air and water pollution caused by the existing plant.
Councillors cutting across party lines joined hands to oppose the proposed fish meal plant, saying Cuncolkars have had enough of the pollution since the time the Industrial Estate was set up in the village over four decades ago.
Both Congress and BJP-backed councillors supported the resolution against the GSPCB decision to grant consent to establish to Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd to set up the plant.
Later briefing the media, chairperson Mascarenhas said all the 14 councillors were unanimous in their opinion that there should be no fish meal plant in Cuncolim. “The council has decided to challenge the GSPCB’s consent to establish the plant. The Council will go to any extent to oppose the fish meal plant”, he said.
This is the second time that the Cuncolim Municipal Council has opposed the fish meal plant proposed by Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd outside the Cuncolim IDC jurisdiction and demanded the immediate closure of the existing fish meal plant operating inside the IDC.
Last time around, the CMC had unanimously decided to reject the application moved by Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd seeking NOC for the construction of the plant.
Sources informed that the CMC has decided to challenge GSPCB’s decision to grant consent to establish the fish meal plant given that Ms Goa Marine Impex Pvt Ltd has made an application to the civic body for issuance of a construction licence.
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Cuncolim council seeks survey over possible encroachments
MARGAO: The Cuncolim Municipal Council has asked the Department of Land Survey to conduct demarcation of its property acquired by the civic body over a decade and a half ago adjoining the Cuncolim Industrial Estate for garbage management.
CMC chairperson Landry Mascarenhas, Chief Officer Vimod Dallal, besides councillors and officials, conducted an inspection of the site to ascertain whether there has been any encroachment on the property located in the close vicinity of the proposed fish meal plant.
The Chief Officer later told The Goan that the municipality has sent a letter to the Land Survey department to demarcate the municipal property to find out if there is any encroachment on the land. “We will be able to find out if there is any encroachment on the municipal property after the demarcation,” Dalal said.
The councillors said that the council should immediately lodge a police complaint in the event of any encroachment on the municipal property.
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‘Shameful’ to clear plant despite strong pollution concerns: Desai
MARGAO: The brother-in-law of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Cuncolim municipal councillor Videsh Desai (pictured) has flagged the GSPCB clearance to the fish meal plant proposed in Cuncolim.
Desai told the media that all the 14 councillors of the Cuncolim civic body have resolved to stand by Cuncolkars opposing the fish meal plant.
Desai raised the issue over the GSPCB’s decision to grant consent to establish the new fish plant in Cuncolim at Wednesday’s Council meeting.
“There was only one agenda item at today’s meeting in respect of the fish meal plant. All 14 councillors have unanimously opposed the plant and support the people. We don’t want the polluting fish meal plants in Cuncolim,” he said.
Desai further said it was a matter of shame for the people of Cuncolim that the Goa State Pollution Control Board has granted consent to establish the plant when the Board is headed by Chairman Levinson Martins.
“Levinson hails from Cuncolim and he is aware of the acute pollution at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. He was given a representation that people of Cuncolim are opposed to the fish meal plant. It is a shame that the polluting plant has been given consent to establish when Levinson is aware of the pollution at Cuncolim,” he added.
