the goan I network
PANAJI
Slamming the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) for allowing coal handling at the Murmugao Port Trust (MPT) to resume, the Congress on Friday said that the least the GSPCB could insist on was air pollution monitoring devices.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Adv Pratima Coutinho, president of the Mahila Congress said that it was really disappointing that the GSPCB had allowed coal handling to resume after hundreds of people had protested against its resumption just a day earlier.
“The Member Secretary of the GSPCB Sharmila Monteiro has imposed a fine on Adani and Jindal and told them to fix CCTV cameras at the MPT. But will cameras determine how much coal pollution is taking place?” questioned Coutinho, proposing instead that air pollution detecting devices be made compulsory, so that pollution could be monitored on a day-to-day basis. She likened the fine being collected to a bribe being paid for the resumption of coal handling, as this money would be going straight to the government.
The party has also threatened to hold a protest march at the offices of the GSPCB in Saligao in a few days as peoples’ lives were at risk.
Meanwhile, the Congress leader expressed anger for Urban Development Minister Milind Naik, alleging that it was he who had not allowed the protestors to be given permission to hold their protest against coal handling in the Port Town on Thursday.
“Naik has taken his voters for granted instead of assuring the protestors that their well-being would be looked after,” she said.
The Congress also maintained that they are not against the MPT carrying out business at the port, but that they’re against Adani and Jindal not following guidelines to prevent pollution.
Defying the cancellation of permission for a peaceful march on Thursday, hundreds of people along with political parties, activists, NGOs and anti-coal groups staged a protest rally in the port town against coal pollution.
However, the GSPCB discharged the show cause notices it had issued to the Jindal and Adani firms operating there. Monteiro said that the two companies would be allowed to continue operations on condition that financial penalty guidelines set by the GSPCB based on principle of ‘polluter pays’ are fulfilled.
According to Thursday’s decision, the two companies will also have to install CCTV cameras at their operation sites for recording real time footage of the pollution control measures installed.
