PANJIM: In a no-holds-barred discussion on the serious situation on the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, which escalated due to the alleged fish meal plants, irreversibly polluting the groundwater, Cuncolkars are preparing for an all out agitation till all fish meal plants are shut.
Notwithstanding the decision of the Goa State Pollution Control Board to shut down one fish meal plant and promising to shut another one on Monday, the informal Cuncolim Pollution Resistance group has said, “If they show their tongue, we will show our teeth”. In an hour-long discussion on Herald TV and YouTube, aired on Friday, the panellists from Cuncolim led by Dr Jorson Fernandes, senior activist and crusader against industrial pollution, the rising pain and anger at the extent of the pollution affecting their lives was palpable.
Referring to the ‘tongue’ analogy Dr Fernandes explains that it referred to the polluting industries especially the fish meal and their “coalition” with ruling politicians, in protecting the polluters, leading to devastation in the lives of Cuncolkars.
He said, “Polluter pays is the principle. But who does the polluter pay is the question,” referring to the free run given to the polluters of the Cuncolim industrial estate.
The decision to escalate their democratic agitation to shut down all fish meal plants and all pollution industries in the Cuncolim Industrial estate, Dr Fernandes specified this.
Prasad Lotlikar, a geologist, who lives right next to the Cuncolim Industrial Estate said, “The hazardous waste has been lying here for 13-plus years. Nickel, cobalt, and chromium lead have percolated into the groundwater through stormwater drains. People are still using well water and do not know the effects of this. These are cancer-causing elements.”
He added, “Secondly, fish waste is being dumped directly into the bore wells. Agriculture is completely destroyed in Cuncolim. Pollution has seeped into the food chain of Cuncolim.”
Manjunath Shirvant, another young person at the forefront of the people’s movement said, “The smell of fishmeal is increasing day by day. The government is playing hide and seek with us. We have drafted a memorandum. Everyone is fooling us including political parties while cancer cases are increasing.”
19 days ago, the people of Cuncolim met the CM who promised to intervene in the serious environmental crisis, with the groundwater polluted.
Fenny Rodrigues, a housewife turned anti-pollution crusader said, “Our wells are totally polluted. Now we are getting a dirty smell in the air. It happens in the night. We are forced to shut our windows. It’s a daily affair. It’s so severe that we cannot breathe. There is black dust all over the house. I have to keep my food covered all the time. It’s a slow death for everyone in Cuncolim. I’ve gone around in the ward to collect signatures. People feel like vomiting when they breathe the air first thing in the morning.”
She and a group of people from Cuncolim met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant 19 days ago. He had promised to intervene in ten days’ time. All she said was “Nineteen days have passed since then”. Rodrigues even claimed that the “CM’s sister” lives in Cuncolim. “Isn’t he concerned about his sister”, she asked
She then stated, “CM himself said the fish meal is being put into bore wells. But what has he done for the people of Cuncolim.”
This is agitation 2.0, the first being against two factories Sunrise Zinc and Nicomet
Dr Fernandes said, “Sunrise Zinc (a factory) shut down and went back and their waste continued to remain there spread over 2500 square metres of the size of a three stories building. Every storm water drain percolates the hazardous waste into the ground water. Every year (since 2007-8), we ask the pollution control board to put a tarpaulin over the waste to prevent it from getting washed away faster. But it still seeps into the groundwater.”
He said when he moved the court against this pollution and mentioned that the hazardous waste was lying in different places, the judge said, “Your horse (of pollution) has not bolted. It is running amok” and ordered the shutdown of both those factories that very day.
In that case, he said, “We escalated the agitation, we stopped the highway. We did a rasta roko just preceding that to show we were escalating the agitation. But the agitation started weakening when fictitious cases were filed against people, many of whom are young and have their careers and jobs to look after. That is how they tried to weaken the agitation.”
What next? People want GSPCB, the factories and boilers, the health dept to carry out their responsibilities
The executive should take the lead. If the GSPCB, the factories and boilers department, and the health department do their job sincerely we don’t need the elected class. But executives are under pressure. The elected class interferes at the behest of the industry. If they show their tongue to us, it is time for us to show our teeth. We had Joaquim Alemao who was in the ministry. If he stood by us, his son wouldn’t have to raise these questions on pollution in the Assembly.
