PONDA: The Goa Pollution Control Board officials Wednesday inspected the site at Khadpabandh-Ponda, chicken, mutton and fish waste from Ponda Market is dumped by Ponda Municipal Council, after residents from ward no 5 of Ponda Municipality, filed a complaint about the pollution and foul smell.
The waste emits unbearable stench and despite several protests from residents since December last year, the PMC has not stopped the menace. Again in February this year, residents protested against this illegal dumping of waste by the PMC just 200 metres away from the residential area.
The Pollution Control Board officials, Junior Engineer Shashank Dessai and Lab Assistant Kamlesh Kavlekar, inspected the site and said that they would handover the report to their seniors to take further action.
Ganesh Divkar who addressed the media, said that they have been protesting against the dumping of waste by PMC in their locality at Khadpabandh since December last year. Divkar said, that especially at night and early morning, the stench emanating from the pits dug to dump the waste, is most severe.
People say that they are unable to open their door and windows for ventilation since this stench is all pervading in their houses and flats. He said that it is nauseating to eat food with this smell fouling the air.
“We submitted a memorandum to the PMC chairperson and Ponda police but it has gone in vain. We have complained to the Ponda health authorities, who inspected the place but the report is pending. PMC officials who assured to look for an alternative place for dumping the waste had failed to locate a site,” Divkar said.
Over the last three month the residents have been facing threat to their health and want the dumping to stop immediately.
The plot used for dumping waste belongs to one landlord and though it is given to PMC to use, it is unfair and illegal to use this place for dumping of waste since there are residential societies all around. The inaction of Ponda Municipality is bound to create unrest and hence they have demanded from the Pollution Control Board officials to order the PMC to stop dumping the waste. They warned that if no action is forthcoming the authorities will force the residents to knock the doors of the Court.
According to Councillor Shivanand Sawant, PMC has procured machinery worth Rs 1.30 crore to treat organic waste and this waste is lying idle. He suggested that the PMC should utilise its plot at Curti Panchayat at Kerya to treat this waste which may solve the problem.
