CUNCOLIM: The deadly polluting- Nicomet Industries and Sunrise Zinc—plants shut down following bankruptcy but thousands tons of hazardous chemical waste lying at IDC haunt Cuncolkars.
Sources revealed about fifty thousand tons of waste is lying unattended and unclaimed even after 10 years since Sunrise Zinc factory and four years after the closure of Nicomet plant pulled down their shutters and chemical waste in the closed factories remain as it is.
Agitated Cuncolkars fought the against the polluting units and the case even went to the Supreme Court but no one succeeded in closing it down. After Sunrise Zinc declared bankruptcy and fled, The Loany Bank with Company law tribunal auctioned the property of the company and sold the land and other assets.
Now that Nicoment has declared bankruptcy, the company arbitrator has set a public auction on July 7 but the locals are apprehensive that same as Sunrise Zinc Company property none of the new owners of these properties would be bothered to dispose of the chemical waste and people around would remain in constant threat of life hazards due to the chemical waste.
Despite pleas to the government, pleas to the court, to the Pollution Control Board and all other authorities, no action has been taken against the stored chemical waste.
Dr. Jorson Fernandes of Cuncolim Citizen Forum had submitted a written memorandum to the Goa Pollution Control Board in vain. Oscar Martins, a social activist who has fought against pollution said the concerned authorities that anyone bidding for the property of Nicoment Company should guarantee the disposal of hazardous chemical waste in the factory.
Local politicians have remained silent. The declining waste has polluted the water bodies and it has become clear that the people of the area are suffering from life threatening diseases due to the pollution. The locals are claiming that the pollution is affecting pregnant women and pregnant cows and buffaloes. Abortions in cows and buffaloes have increased this time and it has been proved that this pollution has a bad effect on pregnant women.
People are demanding that the government should think seriously in this regard and must find out remedy to dispose the hazardous waste.
