MARGAO
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has finally cracked the whip against polluting units at Cuncolim Industrial Estate issuing directions to a fish meal plant and a fish processing unit to suspend operations with immediate effect.
In separate notices, GSPCB Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro has issued issues notices to Ms United Marine Products and Ms Quality Foods to show cause why the operation of the units should not be closed/suspended.
The GSPCB order comes a day after a team had inspected the industrial estate following a telephonic complaint lodged by the president of the Cuncolim Industries Association Abhay Keni regarding discharge of waste water from the fish processing/fish meal industries. The order assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the agitation by the residents of Cuncolim on Friday, threatening to hit the roads if the pollution units are not shut immediately.
The GSPCB team had observed that discharge of untreated effluent was coming from the storm water drain located within the premises of Ms United Marine Products, which is connected to the storm water drain outside the unit, which eventually reaches and flows at the rear side of another unit.
In the notice, the GSPCB Member Secretary pointed out that the observations indicate the fish meal plant is being operated in a manner that amounts to a violation of conditions in the consent to operate issued under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The fish meal plant was directed to immediately suspend operations to avoid any injury to public life and outbreak of any disease in the surrounding area on account of continued discharge of untreated effluent from the unit until further orders.
As far as Ms Quality Foods is concerned, the GSPCB team observed that water pumped from the collection tank near the old ETP of the unit was being discharged through an opening, which flows into the storm water drain located outside the unit. The said storm water drain outside M/s Quality Foods eventually reaches the location at the rear side of another unit.
It was further observed that floor washing water was also seen to be discharged through the above mentioned opening. A chamber was also seen to be overflowing near the said opening and the overflow was seen to be discharged through the opening.
Ms Quality Foods has been directed to immediately suspend operations to avoid any injury to public life and outbreak of any disease in the surrounding area on account of the continued discharge of untreated effluents.
