Govt assures a new CZMP with people’s views
Plan to be drafted by Environment Department in consultation with CZMA, GSPCB, scientists PORVORIM: In a major victory to the people, the State government on Tuesday announced it woud draft a fresh
Herald (Panjim)
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Govt okays heritage tag for Western Ghats
PANJIM: Claiming that inclusion of Goa region of Western Ghat in the World Heritage Site of UNESCO will put the place on par with other unique sites across the World, the State Government has given its green signal to the proposal to include State’s 755 sq kms protected area on the heritage list. The proposal has been forwarded to the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which is the nodal agency appointed by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to coordinate with UNESCO on the proposal of including the Western Ghats as a natural heritage site.
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M/s Axis Ltd appeals against GSPCB order to seal unit
PANJIM: In an interesting development, M/s Axis Ltd has approached the Administrative Tribunal, Goa, challenging the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s decision to seal its premises, over the issue of 25,000 tons of hazardous waste lying at their site at Plot number L-2 and L-3, at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. M/s Axis has also challenged the Board’s decision to revoke the Consent to Operate, issued to the firm for the establishment of a unit to manufacture cement products at Plot No-3 on March 1, 2012. The appeal has been admitted by the Tribunal, which is likely to hear the matter on Monday.
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90,000 toilets to improve sanitation by 2014: Govt
MARGAO: Unveiling its plan of action to tackle sanitation head on in the State, the government will construct around 90,000 toilets across Goa by 2014 as part of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan scheme, even as PWD Minister, Sudin Dhavlikar unveiled a scheme to build free soakpits for households to take care of the kitchen waste water. The PWD Minister also announced the government’s new scheme to acquire land for the construction of community toilets and promised to provide toilets even in Balwadi, Anganwadi school, besides urban areas of the state.
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Govt gives go-ahead for Rs 150 cr tourism projects
PANJIM: The tourism high powered monitoring committee, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has given its nod to a Panjim cruise jetty, Merces amphitheatre and Margao mini exhibition-convention centre and other tourism and infrastructure projects totalling Rs 50 crore, with a two year completion target. The committee set-up to hasten clearances for tourism infrastructure, met last week, where it reviewed and cleared projects which had been pending for want of departmental and financial concurrences. Serving as a single window system, the committee has given top priority for works on five important projects proposed all across the state.
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Sanguem quarry operator told to pay Rs 1.22 crore royalty
SANGUEM: The mines department has directed a basalt stone quarry operator in Sanguem to pay Rs 1.22 crore towards royalty within one month, following the controversial extraction of basalt stones from a quarry in Uguem from 2008 to 2012. Hit by this notice, efforts are now on to involve local politicians, in a desperate bid to get the government to reduce the royalty. Director of Mines and Geology, Prasanna Acharya, issued a demand notice, asking the quarry operator to make the payment towards royalty within one month from the date of the demand notice, failing which the amount would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
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Mining dependents on chain sit-in
PANJIM: Hundreds of mining dependent people on Tuesday began an indefinite chain sit-in protest at Azad Maidan, Panjim, demanding immediate resumption of legal mining in the State. The protestors under the banner of Goa Mining People’s Front have threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands are not met immediately. “This is indefinite peaceful protest. We want government to know that the situation is bleak in rural Goa. The people dependent on mining are going through critical phase and might have to starve if mining does not resume immediately,” GMPF leader Christopher Fonseca claimed.
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GMC begins test on bio-medical waste incinerator
PANJIM: In a bid to ease its huge bio-medical waste problem, the Goa Medical College has begun testing its newly acquired bio-medical waste incinerator feeding small amounts of medical waste to it initially. “We have started using it. Right now, trial runs are on with the help of officials of the company,” Dr Sunanda Amonkar, the medical superintendent said. This is GMC’s latest effort to deal with its both municipal solid waste as well as biomedical waste, which it has been grappling with for years. Earlier there were complaints that the incinerator used to break down frequently because it was fed with mixed waste.
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Tribunal’s veto to clearance for Goa mines
The four-member National Green Tribunal headed by Justice VR Kingaonkar barred the Environment and Forests Ministry from granting any environment clearance to Goa's iron ore mines without its approval, even as it ordered stoppage of all mining at mines whose initial clearance of five years had expired. But the Tribunal's order has no immediate effect as all mining operations in Goa are already stayed by the Supreme Court since October on a petition filed by Goa Foundation.
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Well water sale should be stopped: Dr Willy
PANJIM: The government should crack down on those engaged in illegal sale of water from their wells to tanker owners and either tax them heavily or imprison those who are violating the Goa Groundwater Regulation Act, 2003, veteran politician Dr Wilfred de Souza said. Referring to the Act, Wily said that the water resources department is not acting against any of the offenders. “The limit of extraction of water from a well is 30,000 litres per year. If each tanker has a capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 litres and they are taking a minimum of five to six tankers a day, they will be reaching a year’s limit in one or two days. What will they do for the remaining days of the year and how are they allowed to do it,” Dr de Souza questioned.
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Avertano warns MMC over Navelim garbage
MARGAO: The garbage menace facing Navelim village threatens to spill over to neighbouring Margao. An agitated Navelim MLA and Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado on Thursday threatened to stop Margao sewage from flowing into the Sewerage treatment plant located at Sirvodem-Navelim if the Margao Civic body refuses to accept waste from Navelim. With the waste problem turning from bad to worse in his constituency, Avertano telephonically spoke to Margao Municipal Chairperson Arthur D’Silva to accept Navelim waste at the Sonsodo waste dumping site. He argued that Navelim villagers have suffered over the years on account of the location of the sewage treatment plant located at Sirvodem-Navelim and wondered why Margao cannot accept waste generated in the village.