Panaji: Amid controversy over notices served
on off shore casinos for improper disposal of sewerage, Union
Minister of state for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan
on Tuesday said that the state should conduct Environment Impact
Assessment (EIA) before granting licences to these casinos.
"EIA should have been done before granting licences to
off shore casinos as they are anchored in the water," Chavan
said.
The minister was here on a visit to National Centre for
Antarctic and Ocean Research and National Institute of
Oceanography.
Speaking to reporters, he, however, feigned ignorance on
whether such clearance was mandatory or not for the ships
mounted with casinos and anchored in Goa waters.
"The ships should not create pollution and I feel that
they have enough mechanism in place to control it,'' Chavan
commented.
Goa has six off shore casino vessels which ran into
controversy after the State Pollution Control Board served
notices on them over improper disposal of sewerage water.
The casinos were allegedly letting the sewerage flow
into the Mandovi river water though the companies operating
the vessels had denied the charge.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 18:54