the goan I network
VASCO
Presenting her views against the coal and other expansion plans of the MPT on Friday, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha also objected to double tracking of railway tracks to transport coal.
Presiding officer Johnson Fernandes initially declined to allow Saldanha present her views on the expansion plans, but following strong public protest he relented and allotted five minutes to express her views.
Saldanha brought to Fernandes’ notice that as environment minister she had inspected the coal handling berths at the port and found that the sprinklers were not working and were switched on at the time of her inspection.
“The present transportation of coal by wagons is creating a lot of coal-dust pollution along the route and if railway tracks are doubled only to facilitate coal transportation to Karnataka, then the dust pollution would increase.”
“Presently, coal transportation through one railway wagon creates 300 kgs of coal dust and with about 60 wagons of coal, one can imagine the pollution created along the railway route,” said Saldanha.
Strongly objecting to MPT’s expansion plans to handle coal at the port, Saldanha said coal transportation by railways should also be stopped as coal dust pollution is much more and has irreversible impact on residents staying along the railway jurisdiction.
Former Mormugao Municipal Council chairperson Madeline Pereira said the authorities are using Goa as coal corridor to facilitate some other state. “With the rise in handling of coal once the berths are upgraded, the coal-dust pollution level in the port and other areas of the State will increase many fold which will have adverse impact on the lives of the citizens of Goa,” said Pereira.
Avinash Tavares sought to know whether the disaster management plans are in place in case of emergency to evacuate the residents of the port town.
The hearing finally concluded on Friday evening, but the speakers were seen at the site to confirm the minutes of the meeting and carry out corrections, if any points were omitted.
‘My friends and I have breathing problems’
VASCO: The final day of the public hearing had an unusual speaker when a 17-year-old student of Std 11 raised his voice on behalf of children and the
student community in Mormugao taluka.
Sherwyn Savio Correia was the youngest speaker to place before the presiding officer health-related issues of other children.
Correia, who is suffering from breathing problems due to coal dust pollution, was seen on all eight days of the hearings along with his father, Savio.
Correia informed presiding officer Johnson Fernandes that he had been frequently admitted in the hospital
due to breathing problems and was even kept on a nebulizer.
“Like me, many of my student friends are also suffering from breathing problems due to coal dust pollution in the port town,” said Sherwyn.
