PANAJI, JAN 8: The environmental lobby in Goa which is agitating against polluting industries in the state has received a boost from Union Minister for Environment and Forests T R Baalu. In a letter to the Goa State Pollution Control Board, the Minister has ordered a crackdown on all polluting industries in the state.Acting on this, the Goa State Pollution Control Board has begun surprise checks on specified industries to ensure that all emission control and effluent treatment facilities are functioning adequately. ``We have set up a special squad to carry out surprise checks two days a week,'' A A Parulekar, member secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board told The Indian Express.While the Union Minister in his letter to all state governments called for stringent monitoring of pollution control norms, the Goa Pollution Control Board plans to go a step further. ``Our monitoring squad will function on a permanent basis,'' Parulekar said.The surprise squads will verify whether the industries areregularly operating their effluent and emission control systems and whether their performance is up to the mark. The surprise squad will conduct physical verification and take samples of air and water for analysis. The Central Pollution Control Board has called for strict action against industries which repeatedly violate pollution control norms. The Goa State Pollution Control Board has also been asked to send monthly reports to the Centre about the surprise checks.The names of polluting industries will also be submitted to the Centre. Goa has nearly 50 industrial units, mainly in the alloy steel melting and smelting sector, classified as polluting. The directive of the Union Government comes at a time when Chief Minister Fransisco Sardinha is under pressure to investigate the controversial Meta-Strips plant. Sardinha told the press on Wednesday that the Meta Strips plant would be shut down if it was found to be polluting.
