BICHOLIM: The residents of Navelim in Sanquelim on Sunday strongly opposed the Sesa Goa’s plant extension move at the public hearing held in the village.
Former MLA Pratap Gawas alleged that the venue of the hearing is chosen illegally as he is one of the tenants of the land. He claimed that no objection was taken from him for installing the pandal for the hearing.
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When the submission was done, the villagers strongly objected to the plant extension claiming that it would only lead to pollution in the village.
The locals said there are about 44 furnaces and four more would come up in the area. There is also expansion of the existing oxygen plant as the plant would take oxygen from the air. They feared that if this happens, the oxygen levels in the village and surrounding areas would reduce.
Demanding that the plant should be not given permission for extension, the locals said in near future they would suffer from health issues due to reduction in oxygen levels.
The company employees supported the extension and urged the locals to support the move which they claimed would benefit the village.
The employees said there are several schemes in form of jobs, scholarships given to villagers and called upon the locals to support the company.
The villagers demanded that the plant extension be scrapped.
“Our only demand is that the pollution control board should scrap the extension of the company,” Gawas demanded.
The speakers demanded a health assessment of the villagers.
They claimed that the company has destroyed farmland and dairy farming in the village. They said the company only does advertisement and no community service.
The hearing continued till late evening.
