PANAJI: The State Government has written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests to shelve coal expansion plans at the Mormugao Port with the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announcing that "as far as he is concerned, there will be no expansion."
Speaking extensively to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that pollution in Vasco-da-Gama has been brought under control and rattled out air quality index levels to buttress his stand.
"The Goa government in August has already opposed any expansion of coal handling terminal at Mormugao. Therefore expansion is out of question. If someone is speaking about expansion, you can tell him very brutally and clearly that (the) government has already taken a decision and written a letter, in August immediately after the assembly session, as promised in the assembly. We have not recommended expansion. That is because the pollution levels were high," Parrikar said.
"There is no expansion, Goa govt has written very clear to the Ministry of Environment. Once that is written the issue of expansion is shelves as far as we are concerned. That is a firm no," he added.
He said that since April this year the monitoring levels at two locations within Vasco da Gama city were ‘good' on most days.
"In Vasco city opposite the MMC building in April (this year), eight days the air was monitored of which one day the air quality was found to be good -- good means excellent, because it is the highest quality of air-- four times it was satisfactory, three times it was moderately polluted," Parrikar announced.
"In May it (air quality) was monitored for nine days, one (day) was good, three was satisfactory and five were moderately polluted. In none of the cases the air quality was poor and below," he said.
"In September seven days monitoring was done of which five is very good, one is satisfactory and one is moderately polluted. In all cases poor is zero. In October, nine days the air was monitored. Seven days it was found to be good, two days it was satisfactory," Parrikar said.
At the second location -- at Sada junction -- in April out of all 30 days -- we were monitoring everyday -- ten were good, 16 were satisfactory and four were moderately polluting. In May 25 was good, six were satisfactory none moderately pollution. In September 26 were good and four were satisfactory, Parrikar informed.
"What I am giving you figures is only to show that pollution in that area is brought under a very high level of control. We will still bring it down, but you can't get more than good," Parrikar said adding that if 26 out of 30 days is good, it means the situation was well under control.
------------------
MPT should increase
cruise tourism: CM
PANAJI: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that MPT has chosen a wrong commodity to replace the dip in iron ore exports, instead suggesting that the port should focus on cruise tourism.
"MPT wants business. They went into a wrong business which I think in a congested city should not have been brought. That was 2005. That time there were no warriors and all that," Parrikar said in a veiled reference to the Rainbow Warriors campaign against coal.
"If they increase the cruise terminal, it will be better. At the end of the day they want business to keep their expenditure. So we should encourage tourism," Parrikar said.
-----------------------
LEVELS MONITORED
Said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar ...
* Opposite MMC building in Vasco in April, air quality on one of the eight days monitored was found to be good
* In May (9 days): one was good, three satisfactory and five moderately polluted. No cases of poor and below quality
* In September (7 days): five very good, one satisfactory and one moderately polluted
* In October (9 days): Seven days found to be good, two satisfactory
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Vested interests
trying to spread
misinformation'
PANAJI: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar accused those opposing coal handling "of trying to create an issue out of nothing" saying he received "intelligence report" that people from outside Goa were being "activated".
"I found that there are some vested interests, which are trying to spread misinformation. There are some vested interests who are trying to create confusion. In August opposed any expansion. Therefore there is no expansion. Those who are beating the drums have to be shut," Parrikar said.
"Vested interests... I'm seeing...I'm getting intelligence reports indicating that (on) coal and rivers (issues) some people have been activated that they are trying to make an issue of nothing," Parrikar said adding that it was "an approach to create chaos and confusion." "Some people do not want the government to run smoothly. Some people have other agendas," Parrikar said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
