TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued immediate stop work order to the ongoing construction of petrol pump at Poriem village, adjacent to river Valvanti, for failing to take adequate measures to control water and air pollution which could be caused due the operation of the petrol pump.
The Board further observed that the construction work on the petrol pump, owned by former sarpanch Archana Mandrekar, is carried out without obtaining consent from GSPCB, in violation of the provisions of the Water Act and Air Acts.
“In exercise of the powers vested with the Board under section 31(A) of the Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1981 and under section 33(A) of the Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974, the owner is hereby directed to immediately stop the ongoing construction activity on the petrol pump,” the GSPCB member secretary Levinson Martins’ notice reads.
Mandrekar has been directed to submit the compliance report within seven days, failing which criminal prosecution as per the Act would be initiated by the Board.
Following a complaint from a local, GSPCB conducted inspection of the site and during the inspection it was observed that the proposed petrol pump site is adjacent to river Valvanti and laying of underground petrol and diesel tanks were in progress.
“The work of the unit was carried out without taking adequate measures to control the water and air pollution to be caused due to the operation of the unit,” Martins observed.
