Team Herald
MARGAO: Meat traders operating in the SGPDA retail market in Fatorda have been granted a seven-day extension to apply for consent to operate from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The traders must also submit documentation proving they are properly disposing of their solid waste, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
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The sealing of 42 market stalls selling chicken, mutton, beef, and pork was put on hold after Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira intervened on the instructions of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. During a meeting held at the district Collectorate, Sequeira set the deadline for the meat stall owners to meet the necessary requirements.
The recent decision comes after days of heightened anxiety among the meat vendors, who have been grappling with the threat of their stalls being shut down. The concerns arose due to the discharge of wastewater into the drains, which had prompted the Salcete Mamlatdar, acting on orders from the district Collector to issue directives to some vendors. They were told to cease storing perishable goods, as their shops were at risk of being sealed at any moment following GSPCB guidelines.
In the days leading up to the Environment Minister’s intervention, meat vendors had made desperate appeals to the SGPDA Member Secretary, Sheikh Ali, pleading for help in addressing the GSPCB’s demands. The vendors had expressed their frustration over the lack of coordination between government departments, particularly regarding the absence of a proper sewerage system in the market. Despite raising concerns about this issue as far back as 10 years ago, the problem remains unresolved, leaving the vendors in a precarious position.
The Minister warned that failure to comply within the seven-day deadline would result in the GSPCB sealing the non-compliant stalls. However, he also assured that the government is willing to assist the traders if they cooperate with the authorities by obtaining the necessary consents and ensuring proper waste disposal.
This meeting included discussions with GSPCB senior officer Sanjeev Joglekar, SGPDA Member Secretary Sheikh Ali, Additional Collectors Srinet Kothwale and Uday Prabhudesai, Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar, and the meat stall vendors.
Incidentally, despite the market having been operational for two decades, the Environment Minister acknowledged the lack of a common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) but assured that steps would be taken to address the waste disposal problem. Traders from the chicken and beef stalls claimed they are disposing of their waste through established channels—chicken waste to a firm in Pissurlem and beef waste goes back to the Goa Meat Complex.
