In a major step to tighten hazardous waste management, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday announced that all waste-generating industries in Goa must now sign bi-partite agreements with Ponda Envocare Limited, the operator of the Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (CHWTSDF) at Pissurlem.
Under the new directive, industries will be prohibited from sending hazardous waste outside Goa, and any illegal dumping in public spaces or water bodies will attract heavy fines and stern punitive action.
Sawant revealed that of the roughly 350 industries producing hazardous waste in the State, only around 50 currently dispose of waste at the Pissurlem facility. “Almost 90 per cent of the industries are bypassing the authorised system. This will not be tolerated. We have the infrastructure to manage every category of waste,” he said, after chairing a review meeting on the State’s waste management status.
The government also plans to draft a comprehensive policy covering all waste streams, industrial, hazardous, chemical, construction and biomedical, with the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) tasked with strict enforcement.
A review by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) last year found that 377 major hazardous waste-generating industries operate in the State, but only 101 were registered with the Goa Industries Environment Management Association (GIEMA), and a mere 30 had formal agreements with the Pissurlem facility.
“This laxity will no longer continue,” Sawant warned, emphasising that adherence will be ensured through tighter monitoring and penalties.