Team Herald
VASCO: Mormugao taluka tops the list for housing maximum number of vital installations in Goa as compared to all the other talukas.
Considering this fact, the need to have the basic disaster management facility in place becomes a priority. However, it is an irony that the head of the disaster management team of Mormugao taluka has been forced to be at the mercy of others for his official transportation needs or in times of crises as the state administration is yet to provide him with an official vehicle.
Currently, Mahadev Araundekar, who holds the charge as Mormugao Deputy Collector, also heads the Mormugao taluka disaster management team. Besides this, Araundekar has been given additional responsibility with posts such as Member Secretary Ravindra Bhavan, Baina and special land acquisition officer Mormugao. But to perform these additional duties efficiently the State administration has failed to provide him with an official vehicle.
“Actually, it is not necessary that the head of Mormugao taluka disaster management team should have an official vehicle but the Deputy Collector is entitled to a government vehicle. Now, since the same deputy collector holds additional charge of disaster management, he/she normally uses the official vehicle for all official purposes including disaster emergencies etc. But here, the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office has no official vehicle and this has hampered our office operations including disaster management,” a staff member at the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office speaking on the condition of anonymity informed Herald.
However, he also informed that an official request for the vehicle was made by the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office several months ago. Despite constant follow up, the vehicle has not yet arrived.
“Like our deputy collector, even we are also using our personal vehicles for all official works. During ammonia tanker mishap, the need for an official vehicle was felt more,” the staff said.
The ammonia tanker accident has served as an eye-opener, as the need for the state administration to either strengthen the existing disaster management team of Mormugao Taluka or form a special unit of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Vasco has been felt as the town houses several hazardous installations and is prone to chemical disaster, landslides, flooding etc.
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Cong threatens protest over ammonia transportation
Congress leader Saifulla Khan on Thursday threatened to hit the streets along with over 5000 people, if the State administration fails to stop all ammonia transportation from Vasco in the next eight days. Addressing a press conference in Vasco, Khan who is also a MMC Councillor said, “When all the MMC councillors have supported the unanimous resolution against ammonia tanks and its transportation then how can MPT allow transportation of ammonia. We have come to know that despite so hue and cry and municipal resolution, ammonia transportation is still going on more so during night time. If the ammonia transportation is not stopped within next eight days, then I along with over 5000 people including Congress workers, supporters and other residents of Vasco will come out on streets to protest,” Khan said. Hitting out at MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar, he said that the port should promote clean cargo. “People of the port town should be in good health. Instead of banking on coal or other hazardous cargo, MPT should look for other clean cargo such as wheat, sugar, fertilizer, containers etc,” he said.
and for this, the MPT chairman should move out to find out which other cargo can be handled at port. By this way, jobs of those who are dependent on port activities will also be saved.”
Meanwhile, Mormugao United, an NGO has condemned the rally that was organised by ‘Rozgar Bachao Abhiyan’(RBA).
“We are not against the handling of coal or MPT but we are against coal dust pollution. We want coal handling agencies to come out with latest technology to handle coal and transport it safely. We want the coal dust pollution to be under control,” said Suraj Chodankar of NGO Mormugao United.
