MARGAO: After being pulled up by the High Court (HC) about the filthy conditions at the fish market recently, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) issued show-cause notice to South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) asking why a penalty of Rs 50,000 should not be imposed on the Authority for discharging black liquid from the trucks carrying frozen fish and haphazard dumping of thermocol and other plastic waste along the wholesale fish market road and in the adjoining fields.
A copy of this new notice was also sent to the Wholesale Fish Traders Association.
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MMC Chief Officer (CO) Gaurish Shankhwalkar said their recent inspection revealed that black colour liquid from vehicles (trucks) parked opposite the SGPDA wholesale fish market, due to the melting of ice, is being discharged along the Margao-Seraulim road and was subsequently flowing into the nearby fields and river Sal, leaving a foul smell stench/odour along the road.
The CO then referred to how a huge quantity of thermocol and other plastic waste, in an unsegregated manner, was dumped haphazardly along the Margao-Seraulim road and in the adjoining fields, which were further seen floating into the adjoining river Sal, opposite the fish market.
Shankhwalkar added that this indicated that the black colour liquid and thermocol and other plastic waste are being generated on account of business activity of the sale of fish at the SGPDA wholesale Fish Market.
“Such unsegregated thermocol and other plastic waste which are being dumped haphazardly along the Margao-Seraulim road and in the adjoining fields by fish vendors or the contractors or the members of wholesale fish owner association, authorised by you in the activity of the wholesale fish business, make it extremely difficult for handling, managing and disposal by this Council in accordance with The Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 and The Plastic Waste Management Rule 2016,” reads the notice.
“The act of discharge of black colour liquid from the vehicles (trucks) carrying frozen fish and haphazardly dumping of such thermocol and other plastic waste is prohibited under The Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, & The Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act 1998, and section 197 read with sections 223 and 22 of the Goa Municipalities Act 1968, and therefore attracts action and the penalty,” the notice added.
After asking for SGPDA to reply with a written submission and undertaking not to repeat the act, the CO warned that MMC will be compelled to initiate action according to the provisions of the law and file a case before the appropriate court without further notice.
