Thermocol waste lingers on at wholesale fish market

Thermocol waste outside the wholesale fish market.

Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar

MARGAO

Shoppers to the wholesale fish market as well as travellers on the Margao-Panaji road came across tons of thermocol waste and just outside the wholesale fish market.

A close look at the area has revealed that a vehicle was found parked near the thermocol dump, apparently to lift away the waste. For, the thermocol waste was seen lying outside the wholesale fish market on Sunday evening, raising questions whether the waste is not transported away on a daily basis.

Thermocol waste dump was also noticed at 1-2 spots alongside the wholesale fish market road, indicating that the waste has been collected and stacked at one place.

Questions, however, are being raised over the transportation of the thermocol waste, whether the waste is not being lifted away on daily basis or whether the left over waste is dumped at the spot for transportation on the next day.

Sources informed that with the ban on fishing along the entire western coast, fish coming into the wholesale fish market mostly comes from across the borders from other states. Most of the fish from outside the state comes from thermocol boxes, sources said, while attributing that to the increase in the volume of thermocol waste generated outside the wholesale fish market.

The SGPDA has banned the entry of thermocol waste into the wholesale fish market as a result of which the fish traders transfer the fish coming in thermocol boxes into plastic crates before selling the fish inside the market.

As per the high Court directions, the agencies have been given clear directions to lift away the thermcol waste generated outside the market on a day-to-day basis.