Margao: Every kilogram of hazardous waste leaving a factory in Goa is tracked through a colour-coded manifest, checked against a “fingerprint analysis” and reported to the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). But the state’s casinos and star hotels, which generate large volumes of waste through round-the-clock operations, are subject to no comparable tracking system. Official data accessed by TOI shows govt does not have figures on the quantity of waste generated by these establishments.According to figures compiled by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), industrial estates across the state generate over 77,000 metric tonnes of hazardous waste annually, or about 211 tonnes a day. However, when it comes to waste generated by hotels and casinos, officials admit that “specific data with respect to hotel/casino waste is not available with GWMC.”Govt officials said food and other waste from these establishments are instead governed by the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Under the rules, daily door-to-door collection and segregation are the responsibility of the local urban body concerned, including village panchayats and municipalities, rather than a dedicated agency that tracks waste generated by the hospitality and casino sectors.Industrial hazardous waste, by contrast, passes through an elaborate and closely audited system. Under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, waste is classified under Schedules I, II and III and must meet “waste acceptance criteria” before entering a treatment facility. This involves fingerprint analysis and comprehensive laboratory analysis. Waste that fails the criteria is returned to the generator, while compliant waste is sent for treatment, incineration or direct or stabilised disposal at a secure landfill.At the landfill, leachate is treated through processes including effluent treatment, evaporation, ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis. Officials said copies of the waste manifest are maintained in seven colour codes and shared with the GSPCB, providing a record of the waste from its generation to disposal.The disposal of industrial hazardous waste is centralised at the common hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility (CHWTSDF) at Pissurlem in Sattari. The facility is operated by M/s Ponda Envocare Ltd under a build-own-operate-transfer arrangement and was set up by the Goa Industries Environment Management Association.
