PANJIM, JULY 12
Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) might soon have their own premises as per their requirements with State government conceding for all required support.
Minister for Environment Aleixo Sequeira on Monday asked the board to appoint a consultant to design a building suitable for GSPCB functioning.
“You go ahead with the proposal and appoint a consultant, who will design building as per your requirements. The government will provide full support,” Sequeira said.
The assurance came after, GSPCB chairman Simon D’Souza pointed out the various difficulties the board has to face in carrying out day today activities in the absence of proper space. The chairman demanded setting up of separate building for the board, which would be designed as per their necessities.
“The space presently being occupied (first and the fourth floor of Dempo Tower) is not suitable and not adequate to handle the various types of the board, efficiently. It was not planned and built to our requirements,” D’Souza pointed out.
Explaining the situation, he said that some of their staff members are forced to sit in small cubicles with space just sufficient to accommodate one small table and a chair.
“We have several constraints in this place –there are objections from the commercial establishments operating from this building and the association of space occupiers against the storage of laboratory gases, chemicals, solvents etc,” chairman lamented.
He also brought to the notice that GSPCB has no proper parking space as well as no space on the ground to set up an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station.
Earlier, Sequeira assured to look into the report on strengthening of the board, which is been forwarded to the government and the Central pollution control board for approval.
The GSPCB in their 97 meeting had decided to strengthen their workforce by appointing more and qualified staff at different levels to perform the various functions.
