MAPUSA: Residents of Ramtale in Aldona constituency on Tuesday visited the Deputy Collector’s Office at Mapusa to register their opposition to the construction of Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shed merely 200 metres away from the revered Ramtaleswar Devasthan and the Sainagar Sai Baba Temple.
The community members voiced strong objections against the facility, demanding an immediate halt to the ongoing work and urging authorities to relocate the shed to a different site, keeping a respectful distance from these sacred places.
Speaking to reporters, Adv Vinayak Porob said, “There is no permission from the Goa State Pollution Control Board to carry out the work for the MRF, because there is a water catchment area. Water flows down from the hills through the area where the construction work is going on. The water finally flows into the well, which is near the devasthan and the same water is used by locals as tirth. So our apprehension is that water will flow through garbage where the MRF facility is being constructed and it will then contaminate tirth water of the well.”
A member of the temple committee said, “Whether this site is suitable for MRF or not. This issue cannot be decided only by the Goa State Pollution Control Board. There is a water catchment area there. Without taking permission from authorities, the village panchayat has started work, that too secretively. The site belongs to Comunidade of Aldona. Question is how Comunidade gave permission?. We have come here to the Deputy Collector’s Office because the Sarpanch has demanded police protection. They want to carry out the work under police protection,” he said.
