Sets deadline of four weeks to get ETPs functional or face music
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Sending a stern message to the fish meal and food processing plants in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate that it means business, the Goa State Pollution Control Board on Thursday set a deadline of four weeks to the units to ensure their effluent treatment plants are operational to an optimum level.
The units have been directed to submit a bank guarantee of Rs one lakh before September 11, which would be encashed by the Board and the consent to operate withdrawn if the GSPCB during a surprise inspection anytime after four weeks finds discharge of effluents outside the units.
Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board, Jose Manuel Noronha along with GSPCB officials had a meeting with representatives of fish meal plants, including Indo Tech Ice Plant and Cold Storage, United Marine and Sagar Feeds and Food Products to discuss ways and means to stop discharge of pollutants into the open. “I have issued directions to ensure that the ETPs are operational to an optimum level and given four weeks time for this process. They are also directed to ensure that there is no discharge of effluent outside their premises. They have been also directed to submit a bank guarantee of Rs one lakh before September 11, valid for one month. The GSPCB will conduct a surprise inspection any time after four weeks and if the samples fail or discharge outside the premises is observed the bank guarantee will be encashed by the GSPCB and consent to operate withdrawn,” he warned.
Noronha said that since representatives of Quality Exports were conspicuous by their absence at today’s meeting, a team of GSPCB officials were sent to the company’s premises later today. “If the samples are found to be beyond the permissible limits, consent will be summarily withdrawn.”
