VASCO: The battle against coal pollution that has haunted Vasco residents for long, has reached an extremely crucial stage with Collector South Goa, Swapnil Naik, on Tuesday assuring that fair opportunity will be given to all  participants to express their views during the public hearing for all three expansions projects at MPT, including the proposed terminal capacity enhancement at berth number 5A and 6 A, deepening of navigational channel and inner basin for capesize vessels, and redevelopment of berth number 8, 9 and barge berth at MPT.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the preparations for three different public crucial public hearing that would kickstart from Wednesday morning at Tilak Maidan in Vasco and would conclude on Friday, Naik said,"We had a meeting on the second week of April to discuss and decided about the arrangements to be made for the public hearing at Tilak Maidan which will begin from Wednesday. During the meeting, some instructions were given with regards to the arrangements to be made for public hearing. Today, we conducted the site inspection and I am pretty satisfied with the arrangements,” he said.

He further said, "From sitting arrangements, stage, podium, security, law and order, all aspects have been reviewed and all precautions and arrangements have been made for fair and peaceful public hearing. Also there will be enough police protection at the venue and all participants will be given fair opportunity to express their views. Also at venue, we have made arrangements like illumination to ensure that even if public hearing stretches till evening then there should not be any problems” Naik informed.

Commenting further he said that “We have made arrangements to prepare the minutes of public hearing at site, read the minutes in vernacular language including Konkani language,” he told.

It may be recalled that the public hearing for all three expansions projects at MPT was first planned at MPT owned premises at Headland Sada on February 17, 21, and 23, however after citizens raised objections to the dates and venue,  it was changed to Tourist hostel in Vasco and the dates were deferred to March 20, 24, 27.  Later  following protests by the citizens over inadequate space for the public, the presiding officer for Public hearing along with officials of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) cancelled all three public meetings at Tourist Vasco and reschedule the public meetings at Tilak Maidan, Vasco on April 26,27 and 28 2017. This time the authorities have made provision for 5000 plus people to attend the public hearing, though the pandal erected at Tilak Maidan can accommodate more than 10 thousand public. 

Now with different citizens groups as well as environmentalists fully geared up to raise their objections for proposed expansions of all the projects at MPT, it expected that authorities will have tough time in replying to the queries raised by citizens.