SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: Uproarious scenes were witnessed at the special gramsabha of the Sacorda village panchayat on Sunday when documents revealed that the pisciculture plant was operating illegally for the last three years without a trade license. Furious villagers demanded that the panchayat take immediate action against the plant for discharging waste water into the Ragada river thus polluting their only source of drinking water. They took pot-shots at the village panchayat for maintaining a stoic silence as the unit continued to pollute their water source.
It may be recalled that the gram sabha was convened even after authorities had clarified that the Ragada river was not polluted and with villagers refusing to buy the 'clean' chit theory dished out by the PWD. Over 317 signatories then demanded strict action against polluters and bring the matter to its logical concluison. Bowing to the demands of the villagers, a special gram sabha was convenede yesterday.
The Panchayat Secretary revealed that the pisciculture plant was conducting activities without obtaining a trade licence.
"The party has obtained permission to construct a bio-frog pond in 2021 but had constructed seven ponds (tanks) for pisciculture without obtaining trade licence for past three years and therefore panchayat has now revoked it's NOC and also decided to complain with authorities for further action," said the Secretary.
Irate villagers then blamed the panchayat for turning a Nelson's eye to the illegalities and squarely blamed the civic body for the water crisis and therefore demanded that the government supply them with clean water until the Ragada river water turns crystal clear. Sacorda locals complained that they had been are consuming the polluted iver water for the last three weeks and now demanded that the authorities clamp down heavily on the polluting unit for releasing waste water into the river leading to water pollution. Deputy Sarpanch Shirish Desai chaired the meeting.
