VASCO
Speaking to The Goan, D’Souza said his party has been writing to MPT and other government agencies against coal dust pollution. “We had kept quiet after then chief minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at a meeting in MMC had assured to make Vasco free from coal dust pollution,” added
D’Souza.
“Later, the Mormugao MLA took up the issue and along with then environment and forest minister Alina Saldanha and Goa State Pollution Control Board officials inspected both the coal handling plants and assured to curtail pollution,” he said.
“Recently, Environment and Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar convened a meeting of all stakeholders in regard to coal dust pollution at MMC hall and had warned companies to take corrective measures within a month to control the pollution,” added D’Souza.
“The council had adopted a resolution to stop the movement of coal transportation trucks, which was supported by the local MLA, but till date nothing has changed.”
“Pollution is increasing day by day and all assurances by BJP and resolutions by MMC are just an eyewash to fool the people,” stated D’Souza.
When brought to his notice that during his tenure as MLA and revenue minister, there was also coal dust pollution as coal was also being handled at the port, D’Souza replied: “Earlier, only one coal-laden ship was handled per month and as coal dust pollution started increasing, I had sent back two coal-laden ships.”
“Now, about 20 ships per month unload coal at the two berths, due to which the coal dust pollution has increased beyond permissible limits,” said D’Souza.
The party also staged a rally to protest against coal dust pollution. The rally commenced from Mormugao Municipal Council building and went past the F L Gomes road, St Andrew’s Church and Swantantra Path road, before culminating near the MMC building.
Later, D’Souza visited the office of Mormugao Deputy Collector. Since the the Deputy Collector was not in the office, he submitted a memorandum to Mormugao Mamlatdar Satish Prabhu in the presence of Nelly Rodrigues, George Barretto, Vincent Rodrigues and other NCP leaders.
The memorandum stated that air quality in the port town and its neighbouring area was deteriorating, due to improper and fraudulent handling of coal by two companies at the port.
The memorandum added that despite coming out on the roads against coal dust pollution, no precautionary measures have been taken to control coal dust by MPT and both the companies.
“The Goa Pollution Control Board has failed to keep a strict vigil on the increasing coal dust pollution.”
“Transportation of coal in over loaded trucks and spillage of coal on the road have further added to coal dust pollution and traffic police and RTO have failed to check the over loaded coal transportation trucks,” stated the memorandum.
The NCP has requested the Deputy Collector to initiate action against the pollution or else threatened to intensify the agitation.
