MARGAO
Uproar and tension rent the air on Tuesday as over 100 trucks lined up at the Verna railway yard to unload what locals suspected was coal even as Deputy Collector, Margao swung into action and stopped the activity.
Konkan railway senior public relations manager, Baban Ghatge later told The Goan that the material unloaded at the Verna yard is Pet coke, which has been brought by a company from Amona by trucks for transportation in wagons to Jharkhand.
He, however, could not say whether the railways had obtained any permission from the local authorities, including the Goa State Pollution Control Board to handle the material at the Verna railway yard.
The activity caught the attention of local residents after around 20 trucks unloaded the material at the yard, converting it into a dump. They immediately brought the activity to the notice of ex-MLA Wilfred D’Sa.
Wilfred, who rushed to the spot along with locals, called up the district authorities, who immediately deputed Margao deputy Collector, Prasad Volvoikar to the spot for an inquiry and initiate action.
A visibly upset deputy Collector questioned the railway official over the unloading activity, demanding to know whether any permission is obtained by the railways. When an official showed him a letter addressed to the Station Master Verna from the Konkan railway head office, Belapur, Volvoikar was blunt in telling the official that the letter from Belapur is not enough since the unloading activity is being undertaken in Goa.
Unsatisfied with the reply from a railway official, the deputy Collector immediately directed the railway men to stop the unloading activity. He even instructed the officials to clear the dumped material before sunset, but later directed them to cover the dump to stop further pollution of the area.
He further threatened to book the railway official if the activity caused law and order situation in the area.
Volvoikar later told the media that the railway official has not produced any permission from the local authorities other than a letter addressed to the station master by the KRC Belapur office. “I don’t think the railways have permission to carry out loading of the material. I have instructed them to stop the activity. Since coal is dangerous, the fly ash can create air pollution”, he said.
He added: “Prima facie, the matter falls in the domain of the Goa State Pollution Control Board. I will report the matter to the GSPCB. Let their officials come and inspect the site and the material”.
He, however, said his office will find out the parties involved in the activity for clearing the dump, promising they will have to foot the bill for lifting away the material.
A GSPCB official later arrived at the site to conduct an inspection. The deputy Collector later told the police to impound the trucks loaded with the material if they do not move out by Wednesday morning with the material.
Ex-Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa said people of Verna village and the Nuvem constituency will not allow handing of coal and hazardous material at the Verna railway yard. “There is a residential locality all around the Verna railway yard. People of Vasco are suffering from coal and we do not a hazardous material handling facility right in our backyard”, he said.
Chairperson of Nagoa panchayat Bio-diversity Committee, John Philip said there is no permission obtained from the local bodies to handle coal material at the Verna railway yard. “This is a dangerous activity carried out by the railways in a residential area. We will oppose the same tooth and nail”, he said, while urging the GSPCB to immediately stop the activity.
