GSPCB to carry out odour monitoring at Cuncolim industrial estate

Panaji: Following repeated complaints from locals of air and water pollution caused by some units at the Cuncolim industrial estate, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has begun the work of odour monitoring of some units in the core and the buffer zone of the industrial complex. Groundwater monitoring will be done at 16 locations, while steel units have been directed to install online stack monitoring systems.

In Aug 2024, environment minister Aleixo Sequeira promised the state assembly that action would be taken within two months to contain the pollution.

Steel units have been directed to install an online stack monitoring system for the furnaces. Steel units are directed to rectify and increase the flue gas suction hoods, GSPCB noted at its recently held meeting.

The board has awarded the work of odour monitoring and characterisation of odour compounds around Cuncolim IDC to Normi Research Foundation. The odour-generating units have been mainly identified as fish processing units — six washing and packing units and one fish meal unit.

GSPCB is working to identify 20 to 22 locations. Some locations will be selected in the core and buffer zone of some of the industrial units and some locations in the residential area nearest to the IDC. The study is in progress.

Meanwhile, GSPCB said it has been conducting groundwater monitoring at 16 locations in the Cuncolim IDC.

“The board has taken up the installation of a continuous ambient air quality monitoring system with the Cuncolim IDC for real-time monitoring of the ambient air in the estate. The work is in progress,” GSPCB noted at its meeting. “GSPCB through the CSR activity of Colorcon Asia has installed eight ambient air quality monitoring devices in Goa, including one at the Cuncolim industrial estate. The device is connected online to GSPCB server for continuous ambient air quality monitoring.”

Water and wastewater mapping and the plan for the utilisation of treated water were initiated for steel units and fish processing units in Nov 2024.

That month, concerned over the complaints, the directorate of health services had told the primary health centre at Balli to take action on the air and water pollution issues at the Cuncolim industrial estate raised by the locals.

The project for characterisation of the hazardous waste dump of Sunrise Zinc at the Cuncolim IDC through National Environmental Research Institute (NERI) has also been taken up.

Accordingly, the collection of samples from the dumps was completed on Nov 30, 2024. NEERI will be analysing the samples and submitting reports to the board.



Curb pollution as vowed: Yuri to CM

Margao: Opposition leader Yuri Alemao has written to CM Pramod Sawant, demanding immediate measures to control pollution at the Cuncolim industrial estate. The letter comes two days after TOI highlighted govt’s failure to act on its earlier promises. Alemao emphasised the urgent need to address health issues faced by residents near the industrial estate, particularly due to pollution from steel and fish meal industries. He said the estate has become a “hotspot for environmental degradation” due to ineffective waste management systems and non-functional effluent treatment plants.

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