VASCO
While admitting that he did not deny pollution due to coal handling, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday said insisted that stopping a nation-building project is never a solution.
Cabral said coal handling units in the port are now expected to have a dome structure to contain pollution and that double-tracking works in his constituency had been already completed.
"We have seen that the port was handling iron ore earlier and coal was handled in negligible quantity. But when iron ore was shut, coal cargo is likely to be increased by the port because there are many people working in the port,” said Cabral.
“While I cannot deny the pollution, the coal handling units had proposed an entire dome structure to handle coal in the port. But the NGT stopped the plan till CRZ 2011 plan was not in place. With a CRZ 2011 plan now in place, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has given them permissions to have an entire dome and if they don't this, we will stop their coal handling activity.”
“The dome will have all gadgets and the dust created will be separated by a filter and pollution will not take place. Closing any project or activity is never a solution because we use power and steel that requires coal and we don't do this steel here but it happens in other states from where we get our power," said Cabral.
"Somewhere we all have to unite and strengthen the country and its progress and we can try and work out solutions.”
The minister said as far as double tracking is concerned, works have already been completed in his constituency despite the fact that trains would move very close to houses in his area.
“I made sure that Railways compulsorily takes up concrete retaining wall with shock absorbers and there is a lot of difference now when the trains move.”
“Regarding the issue in Velsao, I went on to site twice but a solution cannot be found because there are local issues but we must remember that the country must move ahead. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is monitoring the situation and he will find a solution," said Cabral.
