NGO warns of Arpora-like risk at Cuncolim industrial estate

Margao: Green Goa Foundation (GGF) has demanded immediate govt action against illegal constructions and unsafe worker accommodations in the Cuncolim industrial estate, warning that inaction could lead to tragedies like the Arpora night club fire that claimed 25 lives. The NGO said workers are being housed in cramped, illegal quarters within factory premises, violating safety norms.“Govt officers seem to wake up only after a mishap results in death and destruction, as seen in the Arpora fire,” GGF chairman Raison Almeida said in a press note. He added that inspections now being carried out should have been routine and not reactive. The NGO also pointed to several fire incidents in the estate in recent years.Almeida further alleged that some officials were using post-Arpora inspections to extort money instead of fixing irregularities. “Officers are taking this fire as an opportunity to extort from defaulting businesses,” he claimed.