Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Jul 13: In a major regulatory move, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has prohibited the transboundary movement of hazardous waste to treatment facilities located outside the state, with immediate effect.

Issuing a circular, GSPCB Member Secretary Sanjeev Joglekar directed all industries generating hazardous waste to mandatorily use the authorized local facility operated by M/s Ponda Envocare Limited for disposal of landfillable, incinerable, and utilisable hazardous waste.

“Transboundary movement of hazardous waste to facilities outside the State is hereby prohibited with immediate effect, except with prior written permission of the Board in specific cases,” Joglekar stated.

The decision comes in the wake of concerns raised during a recent review meeting conducted by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), which revealed significant gaps in compliance among hazardous waste generators.

Goa’s Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (CHWTSDF), located at Pissurlem, has been established to manage all categories of hazardous waste within the State.

However, of the 377 major hazardous waste generating industries in Goa, only 101 are currently registered with the Goa Industries Environment Management Association (GIEMA), and just 30 have executed the bi-partite agreement with Ponda Envocare Limited for waste disposal.

Authorities are now expected to increase monitoring and enforcement to ensure full industry compliance with the new directive, aimed at improving local waste management and reducing environmental risks.