SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PORVORIM: The State government on Friday informed the House that the continuous ambient air quality monitoring (CAAQMS) data reveals that the PM10 (particulate matter of 10 microns diametre) and PM2.5 are high, above the permissible limit in Vasco, particularly near Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said that the annual Ambient Air Quality Monitoring data for the CAAQMS at MPT Port Institute, Vasco, for 2020-21, indicates that PM10 exceeded the normal 53 times and PM 2.5 exceeded it six times.
He said that Goa State Pollution Control Board has granted consent to operate to South West Port Pvt Ltd (SWPL) at Berth No 5A and 6A to handle 5.5 million metric tonnes of coal per annum and Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt Ltd (AMPTPL) berth No 7 to handle 5.2 million metric tonnes of coal annually.
The Minister further said that the Board has commissioned a comprehensive source apportionment study through IIT Mumbai to check the extent of pollution caused due to coal handling operations at MPT and other probable dust sources.
“The IIT study is in progress. Finalisation of phase II report is in process. The source apportionment study is still ongoing and IIT, Powai has not yet submitted the final report,” he told the House.
He said that the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has a state of the art facility to handle coal.
“The coal is loaded on the wagon through automated silos. Continuous spraying is carried out while loading wagons. Immediately after loading entire wagons are covered with tarpaulin to ensure that no spillage takes place enroute,” he said.
