Team Herald
MARGAO: The Cuncolim Citizens Front (CCF) has demanded prompt, remedial action against the polluting units of the Cuncolim Industrial Estate that putting people at health risk.
The CCF said that the concerned Government agencies like GSPCB, WRD and the IDC, have sadly failed to take any action thus putting the health of the people of Cuncolim to severe risk due to various pollutants now CCF have to start taking prompt remedial measures.
The CCF has been fighting for quite some time now against the severe hazards caused due to the pollution problems emanating from the Cuncolim polluting units that undergo no regular monitoring by the Government authorised agencies, for reasons best known to them, asserted Dr Jorson Fernandes.
Dr Jorson highlighted that the mounds of hazardous waste of erstwhile Sunrise Zinc Ltd have been left unattended by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) from 2007 despite the court verdict. “We have been reminding the Board time and again to cover it, much more so as due to the Covid pandemic this year it has remained exposed to rainwater, thus the hazardous waste being carried in all our water bodies and groundwater, thereby causing insult to injury and further poisoning the groundwater,” pointed out Dr Jorson.
“We have asked for a Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment /Audit by all agencies and the concerned Govt. authorities concerning the functioning of the Cuncolim Industrial Estate units so that stringent action can be taken against all erring units. The Water Resource Dept. (WRD) has not been carrying out regular monitoring of bore wells after the permission is granted to sink the Bore wells which has resulted in misuse of these bore wells by the Fish Meal and three Fish Processing Units. Illegal bore wells have been sunk by some of the polluting units on the pretext of water harvesting which is hogwash. When these units have no infrastructure as a piece of evidence to water harvesting and with no permission to sink these bore wells from WRD and further, despite producing around 12,000 litres of treated effluent, the need to have borewells does not arise at all,” charged Dr Jorson.
Dr Jorson pointed out that despite the enquiry by the SP, South Goa (Police) there has been no action taken whatsoever by WRD in deregistering the bore well contractor.
“The lackadaisical attitude of the GSPCB has encouraged the errant polluting units to play the mischief especially as regards to the Fish Meal and the 3 Fish Processing Units and others thus giving an impression that the polluting units are here to do business at the cost of poisoning our water, thus severely affecting the health of the people,” asserted Dr Jorson.
“It is a shame that the Effluent Treatment Plants have been modified without the consent from GSPCB. Worse still, there is no proper plan for disposing of the treated effluent. Besides, there is no continuous monitoring of the soil and water at the disposal site of the treated effluent. Blame it all on GSPCB for creating such an ugly and dangerous scenario at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate,” voiced Dr Jorson.
Dr Jorson recalled that the bore well water analysed by the Health Department had shown the presence of coliforms and sometimes high quantities of iron and manganese besides high turbidity thus making it unconsumable for humans. This is an indicator of the callousness of the Departments in carrying out their duties. It is a sad commentary that the Cuncolim Industrial Estate has been turned into a toilet what with open-air defecation by their employees which was proved during the inspection just last week with CMO, Balli Primary Health Centre and the Complainants Dr. Jorson and Gleston Fernandes.
“Most of the employees had no toilets to use, and some which were found were unhygienic and badly maintained, and of no use. The employees confirmed that they go for open defecation and this has been doubly confirmed by the presence of coliforms in their borewell waters. It is the IDC that has a mandate to look into the provision of standard infrastructure and maintenance but sadly, it has been neglected,” averred Dr Jorson.
“It is the bounden duty of the Governmental agencies and departments to work in tandem with a view to safeguarding the precious lives of people of Cuncolim as well as the environment. A thorough “PESTEL” Analysis and application of Precautionary Principle is a must to protect our liberties and life and our worthy environment, failing which, the Front and the people of Cuncolim will be forced to resort to other means,” concluded Dr Jorson.
