GUILHERME ALMEIDA
SAO JOSE DE AREAL
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the commercial capital, this village located on the outskirts of Margao had over the years earned the dubious distinction as Salcete’s “Scrap Adda”. The reason was not far to seek with the once sleepy village playing host to a number of scrap yards, almost all the yards operating illegally and sans permissions from the concerned authorities.
The recent survey carried out by the Sao Jose de Areal Village Panchayat has only reinforced the impression with the panchayat exercise unearthing a whopping 42 scrap yards dotting the countryside. And, a study by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) revealed that the scrap yards are located in residential areas spread across 6-7 wards, with a whopping 24 yards located in the Menezes Bhatt ward of the village. The Panchayat survey has revealed that three new scrap yards have come up in the village during the current panchayat term, while the remaining yards were found existing over the last many years.
The shocking revelation has evoked outrage from the local populace, with local villagers joining the chorus of opposition to the scrap yards, renewing and reiterating their long-standing demand for the immediate capping of the yards. Apparently bracing up for a final battle against the yards, the residents have now knocked the doors of the local MLA Benjamin D’Silva, district Collector Venancio Furtado and the district police chief, South Shekhar Prabhudessai for immediate action and rid the village of the scrap yards.
The district police chief told Herald that the police have forwarded a correspondence to the district Magistrate to initiate action against the scrap yards under Section 133 of the Cr P C. But, District Magistrate Venancio Furtado has called a joint meeting of the authorities, including police and Panchayat body, next week to chalk out a program on how to go about the matter. “My office has the power to act against the nuisance or under the Land Revenue Code for non-conversion of the land. The panchayat too enjoys powers under the Goa Panchayati Raj Act to act against illegal constructions and business. We will discuss all these issues before coming out with a concrete solution”, Furtado said.
Incidentally, Goa State Pollution Control Board Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said the Pollution Board will soon issue show cause notices to the scrap yards to show cause why they should not be closed down for operating without the panchayat NOC and the permission of the Board.
Though the previous panchayat body had initiated the process against the illegal scrap yards, the exercise was not taken to its logical conclusion. But, the incumbent Sarpanch Julio Monteiro said the panchayat is very much serious in capping the scrap yards. “After the survey, we have issued show cause notices to the owners phase-wise. In the next stage, demolition notices will be despatched to the owners and the panchayat will requisition the services of the demolition squad to raze down the yards”, he said.
Mounting pressure on the authorities, a villager Freddy Travasso has made a humble plea to the Parrikar government to remove all illegal scrap yards from the village. “The parivartan government should bring about a parivartan in Sao Jose de Areal by making the village free from the illegal yards”, Freddy said.
Peter Viegas echoed similar sentiments. “Local villagers had been waging a sustained battle against mega housing projects in the Scheduled Tribes dominated village. Now, we will not rest till the last scrap yard is removed from Sao Jose de Areal”, he vowed.
Says president of Scheduled Tribes’ Association, Sao Jose de Areal, Pedro Castanha: “Our village have witnessed at least five major fire incidents in the scrap yards. It’s sad to note how these yards have been operating without permissions from the Panchayat, Fire, IDC, Health, Pollution Board etc”, Castanha said, while demanding action against the illegal yards.
