PANAJI
Speaking at Congress House, senior Congress leader from Mormugao Sankalp Amonkar stated, “The largest quantum of the coal handled at Mormugao Port Trust is exported to Karnataka. The concerned government should grant permission to Mangalore port authorities to handle the coal there. Goa is not a consumer of the coal but the local Goans are suffering ill-effects of the coal handles here.”
Amonkar also voiced opposition to the dredging of the draught at MPT to deepen the channel while expressing the fear that it would eventually harm the residential structures dotting the higher land in the vicinity.
“Presently, the depth of the draught is 14.5 mts, which permits the entry of a vessel weighing up to 50,000 tonnes. The government, however, has plans to dredge deeper to 19.8 mts thereby allowing entry of vessels weighing a whopping two lakh million tonnes. This will eventually cause cracks on houses located on higher ground,”
he argued.
In addition to this, Amonkar further stated that if MPT is allowed to expand the coal handling sector, it will result in wastage of seven lakh litres of water per day, which sprayed on coal to prevent it from fuming and catching fire. He contrasted this with the fact that the residential areas surrounding the port receive potable water for a mere one hour each day.
Congress general secretary Agnelo Fernandes quipped that while the Mormugao area was demarcated as a gaming zone in regional plan 2012, it is now being turned into a ‘coal handling zone’.
Congress general secretary Adv Yatish Naik criticised the government for its failure to nip the issue in the bud. “While Goans begin to suffer various health disorders, the image of Goa as a tourist destination will also receive a beating,” he said.
Adv Naik also urged the Union Ministry of Shipping and Port headed by Nitin Gadkari, which wields jurisdiction over the port, to prioritise the well-being of the locals over corporate interests.
