Team Herald
MARGAO: The United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) on Friday demanded for the closure of the Fish Meal Plants in Cuncolim Industrial Estate (CIE) until they take preventive and corrective measures to curb the pollution.
Dr Jorson Fernandes, president of UGDP, referred to Water Resources Department (WRD), Gogol-Margao penalising two industrial units of CIE imposing fines totalling Rs 45,000 for illegal sinking of borewells, and also directing the units to close the six borewells. They also cited how laboratory findings pointed out the serious health hazard as the groundwater was found to be polluted with the presence of nitrites, thus making the water unfit for human consumption.
Based on the report submitted through the RTI, Fernandes pointed out that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), with the help of experts with ground penetration radar, conducted an environmental audit in four fish processing units at Cuncolim, who were subsequently issued closure orders for illegal sinking of borewells.
“The physico-chemical parameters of water samples from the borewells from Cuncolim Industrial Estate, South Goa, from the samples received on November 20, 2020 have shown the presence of total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E-coli,” Fernandes pointed out.
“One shudders to imagine the after-effects leading to serious diseases, thus endangering precious human lives,” he added.
UGDP asserted that prompt corrective as well as punitive measures need to be undertaken as the authorities have failed to carry out the checks during the regular inspections, which can be seen from the fact that illegal borewells were detected only after complaints were lodged.
Dr Jorson demanded that WRD deregisters the contractor for digging the borewells besides attaching the machinery and files criminal cases in that regard.
He also suggested that proper, regular inspections must be carried out by WRD with surprise monitoring as one cannot play with the health and lives of human beings.
