Residents of Cuncolim are reportedly on the warpath again over the failure to cart away the hazardous zinc waste from the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. The hazardous waste has reportedly left the water bodies, including drinking water wells and rivulets, polluted and contaminated. It is learnt that local leaders have called for an urgent inspection of the hazardous waste dump by officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and IDC.
It needs to be noted that the people of Cuncolim have been waging a sustained struggle over decades in support of their demand to end both air and water pollution at the industrial estate.
Ever since it was commissioned in November 1992, Cuncolim Industrial Estate has been a bane for locals. It is learnt that a host of health issues are affecting the locals. These include respiratory and skin allergies, asthma, and kidney diseases. Over the years, people have been suffering from sinus problems, tuberculosis, psoriasis, dust allergy, burning sensations in the eyes, and even chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Following repeated complaints from locals of air and water pollution, GSPCB has reportedly begun the work of odour monitoring of some units of the industrial complex.
There is a need to install an ambient air quality monitoring system, conduct a check of hazardous waste dumping, and conduct a survey of groundwater and surface water in and around the Cuncolim IDC in order to ensure compliance with environmental norms.
