Team Herald
PANJIM: With the fire at Sonsoddo refusing to die down, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) seems to be in for more trouble as the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued a show cause notice for violation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules at the site.
The show cause notice to MMC Chief Officer (CO) says that an official of the Board has conducted an inspection of the waste management site of the Margao municipal Council located at Sonsoddo on May 28, 2019 in the presence of MMC officials.
It further says that during the course of inspection it was observed that large quantities of unsegregated mixed waste was found to have been dumped at the site.
“The unsegregated waste dumped at the site was being burned and there is massive fire burning at the site. Also, huge amount of smoke is being generated from the burning waste at the site,” the notice says.
The letter further says that the observations as contained in the report of inspection indicate gross violation of SWM rules by MMC.
“The observation as contained in the report of inspection further indicates that burning of waste at the site resulted in large amounts of air pollution being released in the air around the vicinity, which is causing serious environmental and health hazards,” the notice adds.
Further, it says, in light of the above and in exercise of the powers vested with the board under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 read with the provisions of SWM Rules, 2016, the MMC CO is hereby directed to immediately take all necessary steps to ensure that the fire at the site at Sonsoddo is extinguished in an environmentally sound manner and to render all necessary assistance to the staff of GSPCB that will be deputed to the site in order to carry out ambient Air Quality Monitoring; which is required by the Board for the purpose of assessing the damage being caused to the environment in the area due to the burning of waste at the site.
Further, it adds, “The Chief Officer of MMC is hereby also directed to show cause within three days as to why stringent legal action and criminal prosecution under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 read with the provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, should not be initiated against him for negligence in management handling and disposal of unsegregated municipal solid waste.”
