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Goanet mourns the passing of Jorge de Abreu Noronha in Portugal - Nov 27/07
http://tinyurl.com/2dk2bl
http://tinyurl.com/29kpdx
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After suffering for over ten years, the closure of
the two polluting companies at the Cuncolim Industrial
estate this week on a order by the High Court has come
as a great relief to Cuncolim and the neighbouring
areas whose vegetation, animal as well as human life
has had to bear the brunt of pollution.
In a 14 page order on the Public interest litigation
filed by Mr. Oscar Martins,the Bombay High Court at
Goa comprising of Justice Ferdino Rebello and Justice
Nelson Britto has directed the Goa State Pollution
Control Board (GSPCB) to explain what steps they
propose to take to decontaminate the surrounding areas
of the heavy metals found in excess of the limits and
to also explain the steps they propose to prevent such
happenings in the future.
The Court has also directed the GSPCB to file an
Affidavit as to why exemption an was granted to M/s
Sunrise Zinc, one of the polluting companies from
providing an alkali scrubber in their factory as
recommended by NEERI.
Indias largest manufacturer of cobalt M/S Nicomet
Industries Limited operating since 1997 was directed
by the Bombay High Court at Goa to forthwith cease all
their operations along with another company Sunrise
Zinc Ltd extracting zinc and copper using zinc ash,
copper and brass dross to close shop.
The Court has in its order stated that no industry
specially dealing with hazardous waste can be allowed
to first operate and then when affected citizens
approach the Court seek time to comply with what they
were statutorily bound to comply with in the first
place.
Stating that Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees
every citizen the Right to life which in its fullest
meaning includes pollution free water and air, the
Court has stated that the issue is not whether the
industry in the future will provide environmental
safeguards but that the question is whether today it
was complying with the requirements of law.
The Court has further stated that the life of citizens
cannot be endangered to allow industries to continue
operating when all these years they have taken no
steps to follow the statutory requirements in terms of
the Hazardous Waste Management Rules.
On the presence of the metals like Cadmium and Cobalt
in excess of permissible limits, the Court has
expressed concern of the danger to the health of
citizens in the surrounding areas of the companies and
the danger to the environment and ecology of the
areas.
While directing the GSPCB to seal the operations of
the two companies the Court has also asked that
directions be issued to the two polluting companies to
store the present hazardous waste in secured areas and
in a manner that it does not further pollute the area.
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