First ammonia, now coal: Hazardous mishaps worry residents of Chicalim

the goan I network
VASCO
Barely days after a massive ammonia leakage when a tanker toppled at Chicalim, huge amounts of coal spilled along the airport road when a truck’s cargo hold opened accidentally near the Naval Public School at Chicalim in the wee hours of Tuesday.  
The second mishap which, incidentally, took place near the site of the previous mishap, has renewed concerns among residents in the locality.  
According to sources, the truck carrying coal from MPT did not slow down when it approached a speed breaker, causing the cargo hold to open and coal to spill.
The truck driver quickly alerted the truck owner and later engaged a few labourers to manually remove the coal from the road and fill it back in the truck.
The second truck mishap around the same accident site within a gap of four days has caused considerable anxiety among residents in the area. “Is God giving us hints? Is this a warning sign that it’s time we get together and confront the movement of hazardous cargo through Vasco,” wondered Shekar Naik, who was travelling along the same road.  
Speaking to the media, Custodio D’Souza of Goa Against Coal said the coal truck mishap was cause for serious concern as a lot of coal had spilled on the road in Chicalim.  
“It’s high time the MMC and elected members take action. Somehow, Vascokars are now getting to see how spillage can happen, even if it means accidentally,” said D’Souza.  
Sanjay Redkar of Niz Goenkar has said that the three incidents back to back in the same area were clear indications that the government needed to install speed governors on heavy vehicles carrying hazardous cargo.  
“The government must install speed governors on such heavy vehicles carrying hazardous cargo  because it is a known fact that heavy vehicles speed up at night when there is no traffic or when there is no official to check on their speed limits,” said Redkar.  
 “Whether it was a tanker carrying ammonia or a truck carrying coal, the safety standards and minimum speed limit through city jurisdiction is a must to prevent such dangerous incidents,” he added.