CUNCOLIM: Even as two youth from Cuncolim raised a hue and cry over alleged dumping of slag in cultivable fields, the factory accused of doing so stoutly refuted the charge and the Cuncolim Municipal Council chairperson Landry Mascarenhas said they will inspect the site.
Vijay Prabhu and Aviraj Dessai alleged that taking advantage of a stay granted by the Administrative Tribunal, Global Ispat Pvt Ltd, began dumping waste including slag in the fields adjacent to the Industrial Estate and Aviraj even uploaded a video on social media that went viral.
Cuncolim Municipal Council chairperson Landry Mascarenhas said he has just come to know about this matter and assured that the council will inspect the site.
Vijay alleged that the company had even constructed a 213-metre-long compound wall to obscure the view of their misdeeds of dumping waste in the fields.
“Taking advantage of a stay on demolition granted by the Administrative Tribunal, the management of Global Ispat has started destroying paddy fields near it by dumping slag on them,” he said.
Stoutly refuted this charge, Factory Manager Ramesh Gupta said, “Since the Administrative Tribunal granted the stay, we have not done anything in that particular area.”
When asked about the allegedly illegal compound wall, he however refused to state anything except “the matter is before the court.”
The company has constructed a shed outside the area of the Cuncolim Industrial Estate on land belonging to Sociedade Agricola dos Gaoncares de Cuncolim e Veroda (hereinafter referred to as the Society) without permission from the owners or the Cuncolim Municipal Council, said Vijay.
Taking cognisance of this brazen illegality, local MLA and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao complained with the South Goa Collector, who after an enquiry ordered the shed to be demolished.
However, Global Ispat appealed against this order and the Administrative Tribunal stayed the demolition order till disposal of the appeal.
Vijay and Aviraj both alleged that taking advantage of the stay, the company began dumping slag in the cultivable fields on the eastern side of the Cuncolim Industrial Estate on Friday, February 2.
Vijay admitted that no written complaint is filed as yet with regard to the dumping of slag in the fields, but argued that the municipality tends to overlook misdeeds at the industrial estate as no action has been taken against complaints lodged in the past.
Aviraj said at least now taking cognisance of the fact that cultivable fields are being destroyed the authorities and more particularly the municipality should take some action.
“The municipality is not taking any action on illegal structures adjacent to Global Ispat where some workers are living and which have been provided with electricity and water connection,” he said, adding that the sewage from these rooms is released in the canal irrigating the fields nearby.
Pointing out that he took over as the chairperson only four months back, Landry asked why these issues were not raised in the past.
“The factory has a sale deed executed in its favour and they have been operating since 2017 and the earlier council used to collect Rs 5,000 as tax from them,” he said.
However, Vijay dismissed this claim accusing the chairperson of mixing up issues. “He is talking about Sharda Ispat and the factory now in question is Global Ispat,” he said.