Colva VP to appeal GSPCB order on garbage generated at Fama fair

NT NETWORK

Colva

The village panchayat of Colva has maintained that they had collected garbage generated at the Fama feast despite being served a notice and penalties totalling Rs 10 lakh by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The panchayat said they aim to appeal the order.

The GSPCB in two separate orders said it had found no solid waste management, burning of waste and no toilet facilities at the Colva Fama feast fair held between October and November last year and issued a penalty of Rs 10 lakh. The penalty of Rs 10 lakh was fined on the panchayat, Rs 5 lakh each for causing damage to the environment in the absence of solid waste management and for failure to provide sanitation facilities during the Fama fair.

The board said during the course of its inspection, it noticed there were no bins provided for collection of solid waste and that the waste generated was dumped in the adjacent fields and along the roadsides. It noted that traces of burnt waste were also observed along the roadside and that no toilet facilities were provided adding that open defecation was observed in the fields.

The panchayat was also directed to collect and dispose the waste as per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2018, provide toilets at the said location, submit a plan for management and disposal of solid waste and also for handling sewage prior to commencement of Fama in future and to submit a compliance report within a period of 30 days.

Speaking to this daily, village sarpanch Anthony Fernandes said the panchayat will appeal the order as it had taken up cleaning of the area. “Firstly, the panchayat has nothing to do with the fama fair. We only collect the sopo. After the fair was over, we had undertaken a cleanup drive of the entire area where hundreds of bags of plastic and paper were collected and sent to the solid waste management. Toilets were put up near the church premises and for the GSPCB inspection, the panchayat was not informed,” he said.

He also said proof of the collection was in the receipt of the contractor tasked with collecting the village’s dry waste, vRecycle Waste Management Services, who’s collection  for that week showed an increased collection due to fama amounting to 1420 kg which otherwise averages between 700 and 800 kilograms. Fernandes informed that the panchayat will now appeal the order of the GSPCB listing out its defence.