TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Finally taking cognizance of the 25,000 tons of hazardous waste lying unattended in the Cuncolim Industrial estate, Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar on Thursday issued a host of directions to the IDC as well as the occupier of the plot containing the waste in the Industrial estate.
Parrikar set a 15-day deadline on Ms The Axis to cover the hazardous waste with tarpaulin sheets as a temporary measure in view of the fast approaching monsoons. Secondly, the IDC was directed to hand over the plot of land to The Axis to set up a captive land site facility. The Axis in turn was directed the set up the captive land fill site on scientific lines in consultation with the Goa State Pollution Control Board
This was issued at a meeting convened by the chief minister with officials of the IDC and GSPCB represented by Chairman Jose Manuel Norohna, Member Secretary Levinson Martins, besides representatives of The Axis and Nicomet.
Sources said that the chief minister told Nicomet representatives in no uncertain terms that they will have to shut down the factory once the land fill site reaches the point of saturation. An agitated Parrikar is believed to have pulled up the IDC field officer posted at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, demanding to know why the office remained silent on the hazardous waste lying in the Industrial estate in the last four years.
In fact, Parrikar directed the Field officer to report to the IDC head office on a day-to-day office the situation in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. Chief Minister’s intervention comes on a day when the GSPCB’s directions to the Axis and the IDC to remove and store the hazardous waste expired today without any change in the ground reality at the Industrial Estate.
