the goan I network
VASCO
With the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) giving its Consent to Operate (CTO) to the coal handling unit Jindal South West Port limited (SWPL), activists have decided to continue their agitation against coal pollution and coal handling activity through political, legal and social means.
Environmental activist Savio Correia said the political agitation against the GSPCB decision would continue.
“We will continue to agitate till the coal handling is stopped totally. We will agitate at the political level as well as socially and through social media as well.”
“We will also explore all legal options against the decision. We will soon have a meeting with a core committee and come out with our future course of action.”
“A petition that is filed against the coal handling is also likely to come up for hearing in the high court somewhere in mid-April,” said Correia.
Capt Viriato Fernandes of Goencho Avaaz said they would continue the fight against coal pollution.
“We will make our stand against coal stiffer because the government feels it can just do anything as they want and we will show them in the upcoming elections,” Fernandes said.
“We will tell the people to choose a wise government instead of this government who is out to destroy the health of the people,” said Fernandes.
Pollution needs solution, no cap needed on coal handling: MPT workers
VASCO: Hailing the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s (GSPCB) Consent to Operate (CTO) to Jindal South West Port limited (SWPL), Mormugao Port Unions have, however, felt there should be no cap and that, consent should have been granted to its original capacity of 13 million metric tonnes.
When contacted, Mormugao Port Railway Workers Union (MPRWU) Treasurer and port worker from Vasco Karim A Mulla has admitted that anti-pollution measures have to be taken.
“At the same time, there should be increase in the revenue of MPT by virtue of granting consent to operate to the maximum sanctioned quantity.”
“MPT’s break-even is 20 million tonnes by handing all cargo. Following the issue of consent, several ships were diverted which have affected us in the long term. The CTO to JSW by GSPCB imposing conditions to handle 0.4MMT/month of coal (4.8MMT/annum) should not have been imposed for coal because other cargo have yearly capacity consent and this would have provided relief to the port,” said Mulla.
