VASCO: Co-Convenor of Goencho Avaaz Capt Viriato Fernandes has revealed that Goa was facing the brunt of coal pollution as coal was being transported via Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to save Rs 48 per ton.
As per RTI information it was revealed that coal arriving at the Port was coming from Jharkhand via ports of Haldia and Paradeep.
Speaking on the occasion, GAC Convenor Custodio D Souza questioned the consent to handle coal given to South West port Limited by Goa State Pollution Control Board and dared Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to speak in the Assembly how the permission was given by his government though he had blamed the Congress.
Though there is direct rail connectivity to various plants from Jharkhand, transportation cost per tonne by rail from there was around Rs 2,298 per tonne but if it was shipped by sea to MPT and later moved by trains and road to the destination, the transportation cost worked out to Rs 2250. Hence, only Rs 48 per tonne per was saved. But if this was multiplied by millions of tonnes that would be transported from Goa, it would result into huge savings for the private players and hence Goa was being made a coal hub, Captain Viriato disclosed.
He alleged that hills have been cut and roads widened besides a new bridge is being built with huge height so that millions of tonnes of coal could be transported through Goan rivers by Cape Size vessels instead of barges and save on fuel as well. “We feel that the initial dredging that was taken up by MPT initially was to facilitate this coal movement by Cape Size vessels that were stopped by fishermen from Vasco by approaching NGT,” said Capt Fernandes.
Capt Fernandes also said double tracking was also initiated to help benefit the coal transport through the State.
