VASCO: Citizens, social as well as environmental activists from Mormugao taluka and other parts of South Goa besides political leaders registered their strong opposition against MPT’s coal berth expansion during mega public hearing at Tilak Maidan in Vasco on Wednesday.

The public hearing, which was held amid strong protest by the citizens, was presided over by Additional Collector Johnson Fernandes and attended by over 1000 people. 

The hearing started at about 10.55 am with the presentation by project proponent (South West Port Ltd). However, within five minutes, the presentation had to be stopped after citizens raised their objection to the non-functional LED screen. However, after rectification of LED screen errors, the presentation was held.

From citizens’ side, RTI activist Avinash Tavares while expressing his views, pointed out several errors in the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared for the proposed consequential terminal capacity enhancement by modernization at berth 5A and 6A of Mormugao Port. He said that project proponent has made false and misleading claims through draft EIA and hence coal berth expansion should not be allowed at MPT.

Social activist from Colva, Judith Almeida claimed that Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) failed miserably to control mining pollution as well as existing pollution in port town but now wants to allow MPT to increase its coal handling. 

“First bring existing coal pollution under control then talk about any further expansion. We Goans don’t want any coal handling in Goa,” Almeida said.

Raising similar concerns, Siddarth Karapurkar, a citizen, claimed that in the draft EIA report there is no mention about doubling of railway line and pollution would increase with increase in rail movements. 

“Another railway line will not only bulldoze hundreds of houses but it will divide villages like it has divided areas in Mumbai into east and west, we don’t want villages to be divided and hence such expansions should not be permitted,” he opined.

Vasco-based environment activist Advocate Savio J F Correia said, “The EIA study is incomplete and insufficient as it has not considered the cumulative effect of the current and proposed activity of south-west port along with other activities going on at MPT. They have also committed misrepresentation of fact and have suppressed material facts due to which credibility of entire process is called for question. There is specific requirement under Terms of Reference (ToR) which clearly speaks of considering covered storage; the same was also mentioned in the letter issued to the project proponent by the Ministry of Environment, but nothing about covered storage is mentioned in the draft EIA”.  

“They have also ignored environmental impact due to coal transportation by Railways. Similarly, the water requirements by project proponent is seven lakh kilo litres and as Goa is becoming a water deficient state how can we give such huge quantity of water to spray on coal stacks to one party,” he questioned.

The public hearing came to sudden halt for over 20 minutes after Terence Jorge; working with EIA resource centre, raised some serious questions on the procedure followed by GSPCB while holding the public hearing. 

He said that “The 10-km radius study area includes villages like Santa Cruz, Cortalim and Agassaim. The newspaper advertisement by GSPCB has provided EIA documents to 19 locations but not included these mentioned villages. The entire draft EIA report in Konkani/Marathi for Wednesday’s public hearing was not provided in any of the offices especially Central Library and Chicalim Panchayat as well as GSPCB website as required under Section 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 of EIA notification 2006 and hence GSPCB has violated EIA notification by conducting public hearing without giving any opportunity to few left out villages. Hence, the hearing should be called off and should be held on any other day,” he opined.

The suggestion was overruled by the presiding officer and under protest, the citizens continued their participation in the public hearing. Leaders from fishermen community including Simon Pereira, Sidney Furtado and Olencio Simoes, similarly Advocate T T Shreedharan, Fr  Eremito Rebelo, other political leaders including Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco and various representatives of  citizens groups from Mormugao and Salcete talukas besides other individuals expressed their views by opposing to any further expansion of coal handling at MPT with the claims that MPT and GSPCB failed to control the existing pollution and how they would control the same after expansion. 

Several citizens groups also submitted their written representations citing reasons for not granting permission for expansion before GSPCB.

The public hearing continued even after 7.30 pm as GSPCB officials read out the minutes of public hearing. The minutes of meeting along with written submission and CD of hearing will now be sent to Central Environment Assessment Committee for necessary action.