Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stepped in to address long-standing complaints from the community, directing the government to form a Joint Committee to look into pollution coming from a factory in Sao Jose De Areal.
In the one-year period between January 2023 and January 2024, 221 pollution-related incidents were linked to Goa Carbon Ltd.’s particle emissions.
With representation from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the Chief Secretary (CS), and the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFF&CC), the NGT has mandated the Committee to conduct on-site inspections.
The company’s stock has performed noticeably better in the last three months, which aligns with the timing of this investigation.
It is deemed suitable to establish a Joint Committee with members from GSPCB, CS, and MoEF&CC. Judge Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni issued a four-page directive that reads, “The Joint Committee will visit the site to determine whether Goa Carbon Ltd has obtained all necessary consents for its operations and if they have adhered to the stipulated conditions.”
The report will suggest imposing Environmental Damage Compensation (EDC) and corrective actions in the event of any non-compliance. The Bench must receive this report within a month.
The Scheduled Tribe Association of Sao Jose de Areal, the Social Justice Forum of Sao Jose de Areal, and the Ralloi Residents Welfare Association of Sao Jose de Areal requested immediate relief from the NGT in response to dangerous emissions that had reached concerning levels.
