Herald

Margao, Apr 17: Hazardous industries discharging acidic effluent waste in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate raised its ugly head again, with anti-pollution activists complaining of release of effluent in violation of High Court orders.

Following complaints from the activists, officials of Goa Pollution Control Board and Cuncolim police took samples of the acidic effluents for examination.

Cuncolim Citizens Action Front convener Salvador Fernandes informed that the incident occurred in the wee hours of April 14 when a hazardous unit released the acidic effluent outside the factory premises despite the fact that the case is presently heard in the High Court.

Vigilant members of the Front immediately summoned the police and Goa State Pollution Control Board officials, who reluctantly collected the samples of the mud where the effluent was released for testing.

“This particular hazardous industry has no evaporator since its inception and its has been using 1000 M3 of water per day. The water released by the industry causes pH of irrigation canal, which is just 50 mts away from the compound wall and destroy crop in the farm land”, he said.

Salvador recalled a similar incident on October 28 last wherein another hazardous industry released 20,000 ltrs of acidic effluent outside their premises despite closure notices by the Pollution Control Board.

He said sample testing had revealed concentration of heavy metals like cadmium, but the Pollution Board preferred not to issue contempt of court petition against the violating factory.

The CCAF has condemned the high-handed and care-a-damn attitude of the pollution industries, adding that “worse is to see the government agencies for their lethargy and the attitude of government authorities to protect these polluting units”.