VASCO: The residents of Vasco under the banner of ‘The Concerned Citizens’ for environment protection on Thursday held a public consultation to inform about the public hearing for three expansions projects at MPT and to seek people’s support in opposing further expansion of coal operations at MPT during the public hearing that is slated to be held at tourist hall on March 20, 24 and 27.
After a healthy discussion on ill effects of coal pollution and how MPT as well as Goa State Control Board have been showing rosy picture about decline in coal pollution, contrary to the ground reality, citizens in one voice decided that they would not only take part in the public hearing called by Goa Pollution Control Board on March 20, 24 and 27, but will also register their strong opposition against any further expansion of coal handling at any berths inside Mormugao Port.
The citizens meet was chaired by Adv T T Shreedharan, the president of ‘Concerned Citizens’, and was attended by prominent citizens including Vasco based environmental activist Adv Savio J F Correia, businessman Bharat Kamat, retired chemists S A Kamat besides other environmentalists and citizens opposing coal pollution in the port town.
Adv Shreedharan informed the meeting that as the per the proposal the main intension behind the public hearing is that MPT wants to expand its operations and wants to allow the coal handling companies to expand their coal handling capacity by another 40 percent.
