Sandesh Prabhudesai
30 July 1999
Yet another pollution-related controversy has begun in Goa, this time
involving Meta Strips, a Spanish collaborated industry set to manufacture brass strips and
foils in the cent per cent export oriented unit at Sancoale, in South Goa.
Villagers of Sancoale, Cortalim, Consua and Quellosim of Mormugao
taluka, which also includes port town of Vasco, are up in arms along with a few
environmental groups and scientists from the Goa University, demanding scrapping of the
project.
Sushil Khaitan, CMD of Meta Strips Ltd, however strongly refutes
charges claiming neither environmental damage nor health hazard. The project has already
been cleared by the government-level high power co-ordination committee as well as the
state pollution control board.
While the project was cleared during the tenure of erstwhile Congress
government when chief minister Luizinho Faleiro was holding the industries portfolio, he
has now assured the agitating locals to hold a public debate on the issue while also
instructing the PCB to re-examine the pollution angle.
The Anti Meta Strips Citizens Action Committee has raised basic issues
pertaining to air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution while also demanding
enquiry into allotment of over two lakh sq mts of land for a song.
As the project worth Rs 250 crore is coming up on a Sancoale hillock
surrounding the villages, Dr Joe D’Souza, scientist from the Goa University, fears
that metal toxicity of excess of copper and zinc would find its way into the human body
through ground water percolation as around two lakh litres of effluents would be discarded
each day.
"Zinc ingots do not find their way in soil", argues Khaitan.
The water would be used for cooling, most of which would evaporate and the rest would be
used for gardening within the premises. He claims to have been investing around Rs 80 lakh
to install all kind of necessary pollution control equipment there.
Khaitan also flays apprehension regarding air pollution stating that it
would be a melting process, and not chemical process, to produce refined copper, the one
being used all over the World. The company assures to install special German equipment
from George Fisher Disa to filter and release unharmful air into the environment.
"We are fully aware of our responsibilities and obligations
towards the people of Goa", claims Khaitan. Holding a press conference one day prior
to the morcha of the agitating villagers on the Assembly, he has even assured to place the
file of the whole project at panchayat offices for public reading.
He also points out at similar kind of industries by SWIL Ltd in Nasik
and Indian Smelting and Refining Industries Ltd in Bhandup, the Mumbai suburb, for last 25
to 30 years without posing any kind of environmental hazard till date.
"But what appears baffling is why countries with advanced
technology then ours should export their machinery and scrap to allow huge transport cost
and manpower to upgrade copper and its alloys which could have been done in any western
country", says Joel Fernandes, convenor of the action committee.
Your Comments Please
