PANAJI: Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) has issued a show cause notice to the Airports Authority of India management for discharging sewage and waste water from the airport facility at Dabolim into a nearby storm water drain.
The member secretary of the board, while issuing the notice, to be replied within seven days, noted that the airport facility was being operated without obtaining consent to operate of the board as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The new airport terminal at Dabolim had been recently inaugurated and after board officials held an inspection of the premises on April 17, 2014, it was found that the water act was being allegedly violated.
The board had granted the AAI consent to establish (NOC) dated November 29, 2013, under the condition that it would treat domestic effluents in a proposed sewage treatment plant and that treated effluents shall be recycled to the maximum extent and not to be discharged outside the airport's premises.
Noting that the discharge has been causing water pollution in the vicinity, the board issued the notice on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.
The board has cautioned that further legal action would be initiated if the discharge is not stopped within seven days and if AAI doesn't file a compliance report accordingly.
The Chicalim panchayat had also issued a notice to AAI in connection with the discharge of the untreated waste water near the four-lane highway, causing a health hazard.
Deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate, Mormugao, Gauresh Shankhwalkar and other officials had also conducted an inspection at the site a few days back.
He had written a letter to health department to initiate necessary action against the AAI under the Health Act.