Inspection raises serious concerns over collection of raw sewage at multiple points; thousands of workers housed illegally within IDC; authorities draw flak for turning a blind eye to the violations
MARGAO
This may make reading very interesting and may expose the concerned authorities for turning a blind eye to the presence of thousands of workers housed inside the Cuncolim Industrial Estate in flagrant violation of industrial and labour laws.
Consider this. In the midst of Cuncolkars threatening to shut down the National Highway 66 if untreated effluents from the Cuncolim Industrial Estate are not stopped from flowing into the adjoining water bodies, South Goa District Collector, Asvin Chandru issued an order invoking powers under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, but for a different reason. Take note, the order issued under Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 had nothing to do with the untreated industrial effluents.
The Collector’s order, however, raised concerns over the collection of raw sewage at various points within the Cuncolim Industrial Estate premises, throwing up a host of questions for Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho and Goa Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Reginaldo Lourenco to answer over the source of the raw sewage found collected inside the industrial estate.
For, it may not be uncommon to find untreated industrial effluents from an industrial estate finding its way out, but collection of raw sewage at various points inside the IDC premises is indeed a matter of serious concern, bringing back to the fore the question over the accommodation of thousands of migrant workers inside the industrial units in flagrant violation of the labour rules in force.
This question further assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that a joint raid conducted by then Labour Commissioner Agnelo Fernandes and IDC officials around a year and half ago on March 2023 had unearthed the large presence of workers housed inside the industrial units in violation of rules.
In fact, the IDC had slapped notices on around 22 industrial units to explain the presence of workers inside the industrial units at the Cuncolim IDC. Not only the fate of the show cause notices remains unknown since then, but an attempt was even made to exempt the fish processing and steel units from the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Regulation, 2010 after a delegation of industrial unit owners called on the powers that be with a plea to allow them to house the workers inside the premises for want of accommodation outside the industrial estate.
The Collector has directed the GSPCB Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro to identify the units involved in the illegal discharge of raw sewage in the industrial estate.
Collector’s directions to GSPCB under Sec 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005
* Identify the industries responsible for the illegal discharge or improper handling of raw sewage in Cuncolim IDC and suspend the operations of the violating industries as per the relevant environmental and pollution control laws and regulations until compliance with prescribed norms is ensured within 24 hours
* Submit a detailed report of actions taken within 72 hours from the receipt of this order
* This order is issued in the interest of public safety, environmental protection and compliance with applicable laws
* Failure to comply with this order will invite further legal actions under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other applicable statutes
Inspection raises concerns over sewage collection escaping IDC, GSPCB attention
MARGAO: If the South Goa District Collector Asvin Chandru’s order issued under the Disaster Management Authority indeed reflects the ground reality that raw sewage is collected inside the Cuncolim IDC premises, questions are raised how the nuisance and the health hazard has surprisingly escaped the attention of the IDC officials and the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
As per the Collector’s order, the collection of raw sewage at various points within the Cuncolim Industrial Estate premises was observed by a field inspection conducted by Deputy Collector & SDO-II, Salcete in the presence of officials deputed by the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
This has only thrown up a question how the presence of raw sewage inside the Cuncolim IDC premises had never come to the notice of the IDC or GSPCB officials all these months.
Task at hand for IDC, PCB officials to tackle raw sewage in absence of STP
MARGAO: It’s an open secret that the Cuncolim Industrial Estate does not play host to a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to treat untreated industrial effluents despite the presence of fish meal, fish processing units, steel units and distilleries inside the estate.
What about a sewage treatment plant? Is the Cuncolim Industrial Estate playing host to a sewage treatment plant to treat the sewage generated in the industrial estate. If not, how is the sewage generated at the industrial units, especially by the units which have converted portion of the units into residential colonies to house hundreds of workers, disposed of?
The collection of raw sewage at various points inside the Cuncolim Industrial Estate as per the Collector’s order dated September 20 has thrown up another challenge of sorts for the GSPCB and IDC to grapple with – how to handle the raw sewage generated inside the IDC premises.
The Collector’s order also brings to the fore the moot question whether the industrial units have put in place any mechanism to handle and dispose of the raw sewage generated inside the industrial premises or whether the setting up of a STP inside an industrial estate was not factored since the industrial estate is not supposed to provide residential amenities to the workers.
