MARGAO: Residents of the Verna-Ambrol area have demanded that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and other authorities take immediate action against an alleged polluting unit in their village. The unit is accused of releasing highly polluted wastewater that drains from the plateau into the village lake and fields.
On Sunday, locals gathered in large numbers at the unit to protest and seek answers to the problem. They drew parallels to the situation in Velsao, where fish were found dead after water was contaminated by effluents from a nearby factory. The protesting locals, including activist Franky D’Mello, were upset about how their village’s natural resources are getting contaminated and wanted this issue to be addressed and resolved as soon as possible. They also showed the areas where the water bodies in the village were affected due to unchecked pollution.
The protesters issued an ultimatum, giving authorities 24 hours to stop the pollution. If no action is taken, they threaten to hold an agitation in front of the company. A member of the Verna Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) and another Verna panch member has also assured that they will follow up on the matter.
