TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: From now on all ayurvedic clinics, massage parlours, spas, puncture repair shops, hair cutting saloons, physiotherapy units and X-ray units would come under the purview of Goa State Pollution Control Board making it mandatory for them to obtain Consent to Operate under Water and Air Act.
At its meeting the board decided to categorize these units under ‘orange category’ with Consent to Operate for a period of five years and levy a fee of Rs 3,000. The Board will issue a notification and conduct a survey to count these units.
GSPCB chairman Jose Manual Noronha said that as per National Green Tribunal 2013 February order, the Board has no authority to exempt any industry from obtaining Consent under the Water and Air Act. Under this order, the Board issued show cause notices to 2,343 industries and 2,624 hotels to apply for consent.
“The units mentioned will generate domestic waste water, negligible emission and only a small amount of solid waste, therefore as a temporary measure, Board has decided to consider them under orange category,” Noronha explained.
Chairman said that on identifying them, show-cause notices under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, would be issued.
In yet another decision, Board has decided to levy Rs 5,000 per day fee per casino operator for monitoring sewage disposal. The Board is monitoring casino vessels for disposal of their sewage to the treatment plant through sewage tankers during which the GSPCB staff is present.
The casino M V Pride disposes its waste weekly whereas others such as Casino Royale, Horseshoe and Boa Sorte dispose it daily.
The Board has also reduced the distance between soak pit or septic tank from the well from existing 20 mtrs to 15 mtrs following a Town and Country Planning department proposal, citing pollution concerns. TCP also suggested registering such wells with the competent authority.
