Waste Disposal Issue: Notices served to 6 Offshore Casinos

PANAJI(India): The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has served show cause notices to six casino ships anchored in the Mandovi river, in a bid to act against their alleged discharge of sewage into the river. It has also directed owners of the ships to immediately stop discharging sewage into the Mandovi. The GSPCB has noted that the vessel owners have failed to take a consent of operation from the Board as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and have therefore violated the Act. They have been directed to reply within seven days of receipt of the show cause notice, failing which the Board may be forced to order closure of the casino vessels.

The six casino ships under the GSPCB's scanner are the Caravela (Waterways Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Vasco), Pride of Goa (Goa Coastal Resorts and Recreation Pvt Ltd, Porvorim), Casino Rio (Hotel Leela Venture Ltd, Mumbai), Arabian Sea King (Arrow Westex, Mumbai), Casino Royale (Highstreet Cruises and Entertainment, Mumbai) and San Domino (Capital Power Ltd, Mauritius). Sources said the notices were sent by registered post on February 16, but added that some of the postal addresses appear vague. Hence the Board has sent copies of the notices to the police inspectors of the Porvorim and Panaji police stations, requesting them to post the notices on the vessels. Copies of the notices have also been sent to the Collector (North) to ensure compliance.

Reportedly, only the Caravela has replied to the notice. Sources said its owner has claimed that the vessel has a collection tank for its sewage and its waste is regularly given to a handler onshore, who disposed it at a sewage treatment plant. The claim is yet to be verified by the Board. The GSPCB notices to the casinos are a direct follow-up of the charges in the legislative Assembly earlier this month that the vessels had been discharging their sewage into the Mandovi river. Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar on February 4 had attacked home minister Ravi Naik in the House, charging that licenses to casino vessels were being issued illegally and that they did not have sewage treatment facilities.

Taking note of Parrikar's allegations, the director of science, technology and environment wrote to the GSPCB, requesting it to initiate action against the owners of the vessels and to issue appropriate show cause notices to them. Parrikar had followed up his Assembly attack with his own letter to the GSPCB on February 10. He pointed out that, the vessels had no certificate from the GSPCB in respect of sewage treatment and also for their operation as casinos under the Water and Air Pollution Control Act.

[Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 24 Feb 2009]