Decades of inaction have allowed illegal scrapyards to proliferate across the state, where recurring fires expose glaring regulatory failures and mounting public risk
Panaji: On June 24, another unauthorised scrapyard at Colvale went up in flames, with the blaze tearing through tightly packed piles of highly inflammable plastic, rubber and scrap metal. No one was injured, but thick black smoke and the wail of fire engines served as a reminder that the state’s growing scrapyard problem remains unresolved.The Colvale fire is far from an isolated incident. Residents say such fires have become alarmingly frequent as illegal scrapyards continue to mushroom across Goa, often in residential areas, fields and near industrial estates. Official data shows Salcete has around 108 scrapyards, followed by Bardez (66), Tiswadi (57), Bicholim (49), Ponda (48) and Mormugao (39).Despite repeated fire incidents, policy discussions and assurances, Goa is yet to put in place a regulatory framework for scrapyards or identify all facilities operating in hazardous locations.Records from the directorate of fire & emergency services (DFES) show 53 fires at scrapyards in Bicholim, Kundaim, Fatorda, Margao, Curchorem, Canacona, Verna and Cuncolim in recent years, including 22 in 2025 alone. During investigations, fire officials found that none of the inspected scrapyards possessed a valid fire safety No Objection Certificate (NOC).Yet enforcement has been minimal. In most cases, particularly in Bicholim and Kundaim, no action was initiated despite the absence of valid NOCs. Elsewhere, inspections were conducted, but follow-up remained limited. In Curchorem, inspection reports were forwarded to the Quepem deputy collector, with no further action. Government records also indicate that most scrapyards lack permission from local village panchayats.
“There is a clear record of inspections but limited evidence of follow-up enforcement or corrective measures by the collector’s office,” said a fire department official.Residents living near these facilities say the widespread absence of fire safety clearances highlights a serious regulatory gap. To avoid scrutiny, many scrapyards have sprung up on the fringes of industrial estates, in agricultural fields, mangroves and abandoned quarries.Activists blame the situation on the absence of a clearly designated authority to regulate scrapyards. While the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) registers waste collectors and recycling agencies, it has repeatedly maintained that scrapyards do not fall under its jurisdiction.Following major scrapyard fires at Sancoale and Quelossim in 2025, the GSPCB conducted inspections. At Sancoale, where eight scrapyards allegedly caught fire due to a short circuit, inspectors found the blaze still smouldering in places and residential buildings located as close as 10m away. The report noted that mixed solid waste, including combustible scrap, had been stored at the site, contributing to the intensity of the fire.At Quelossim, five scrapyards operating on comunidade land were also found storing combustible scrap without adequate precautions. The scrapyards were located outside the Verna industrial estate but close to a manufacturing unit operated by Duraline India.“The fires at the scrapyards don’t directly affect the industrial units but the issue is that being in the vicinity, there are other wrong things that happen. Robberies, pilferage of raw material from companies, scrap and we don’t know if it is done by the scrapyards but at the end, the stolen goods end up at the scrap yards,” said Pradip da Costa, president of Goa State Industries Association.Although the Goa Scrapyards and Recycling Units Policy was promised in 2023, it remains undelivered. Until then, residents continue to live with the risk that the next scrapyard fire may not end as fortunately.
