TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has begun inspections at all three and five-starred hotels across the State to verify the functioning of composting stations, organic waste compositor (OWC) and vermi compositor, which are prime criteria to decide the granting of Consent to Operate under Water and Air Acts.
A total of four teams are conducting the inspections.
The inspection which will last over three-days were initiated after GSPCB observed that most of the starred hotels give away their wet and dry waste to piggeries, who in-turn dump the waste in residential areas creating dump yards that could lead to major health hazard.
There are around 56 three and five starred hotels in Goa, among which 10 hotels have not installed the composting station or OWC.
GSPCB Chairman Jose Manual Noronha said that according to the consent, the hotels are bound to have composting units for treatment of wet waste generated in their hotels.
Noronha said that last month the board had received two complaints from Betalbatim and Seraulim in Salcete about functioning of piggeries in their residential areas leading to health and environment problems. Based on the complaint, the inspection was carried out where it was brought to officials’ notice that the people running the piggeries would collect dry and wet waste from starred hotels on a daily basis.
“The segregation of the waste is done at a site. The wet waste is fed to the pigs while the dry waste is dumped in open areas, creating dump yards.
The pigs were seen feeding on waste lying outside the pig sty. Foul odour and very unhygienic condition prevailed in the vicinity,” Noronha said.
Based on the findings, the board decided to conduct inspections of all the starred hotels to verify the functioning of the composting units, he said, adding proper directions would be issued to the hotels if they are found to be violating the Consent norms.
