VASCO: While Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was presenting the State Budget on the floor of the Assembly on Wednesday, concerned citizens from Vasco were taking up several important issues and decisions, and more importantly, supporting the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) in stopping coal transportation through the town’s roads.
Several other important decisions were also taken during the three-hour debate ‘Battle for Vasco’ organised by Herald-HCN at Ravindra Bhavan, Vasco, on Wednesday.
Starting with coal pollution, the moderator of the debate, Herald Group Editor Sujay Gupta, briefed on the issue, including how Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) was acting like a toothless tiger in controlling coal pollution.
Jennifer Luis Kamat, a panelist for the debate, accused GSPCB of not making a serious effort to ensure that pollution control measures were implemented by coal handling companies at the Mormugao port.
“As per GSPCB’s reply on December 2015, the ambient air monitoring units installed at MPT were not working for the last six months. This means that there was no check on coal pollution during this period. I feel that Vascokars have been fooled by the government, MPT and other agencies on the issue of coal pollution. This is unacceptable as health is the biggest richness one can have,” she said.
Environmentalist and social worker Alka Damle said that the problem of coal pollution was also due to transportation of cargo through the city roads. She added that if the four-lane highway would have been completed, then pollution would have automatically come under control.
The moderator asked the panelists whether the citizens’ reactions to the coal menace were strong enough and whether they moved court for justice.
To this, businessman and panelist Paresh Joshi said that the citizens had approached the courts and even won the case, after which the coal operations were shifted to Berth Nos 5, 6, and 7 from Berths 10 and 11 of MPT.
“If coal pollution has to be controlled, then there is need for strong political will. This coal was rejected by three ports, and thus, the same was forced on Goa. It was a political decision to bring the coal to MPT and it is political will that can take coal away from the port,” he said.
Panelist Nazir Khan, a businessman from Vasco and advisor of citizens’ group Mormugao Against Pollution (MAP), criticised the State BJP leaders for fooling the people with false promise to make Vasco free of coal pollution once their party came to power in the 2012 Assembly elections.
“If BJP had promised to stop coal pollution, then why was coal handling allowed at Berths Nos 7, 5 and 6 of MPT?” he questioned.
Vasco resident and Panelist Savio Messias stated that coal handling by MPT could not be stopped since the players involved were too big. He said, “For the last 20 years, we have seen people opposing coal pollution, but they were silenced. We need to maintain basic cleanliness and air quality and at least prevent dust pollution.”
Another panelist Francisco Nunes suggested that MPT should include either the chairperson or vice chairperson of MMC as a member of the Board of Trustees so that the municipality would know what was happening inside MPT.
Panelist and Parish Priest of St Andrew’s Church, Fr Gabriel Coutinho said, “It’s high time that we show the people’s power to our leaders. Only then things can change.”
MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik also raised serious concern over coal pollution and stated, “We need to unite on this issue of coal pollution. MMC has already taken a bold decision to stop transportation of coal through city roads. I appeal to the people of the port town to support us in our decision and we will stop coal transportations even if I have to defy government orders.”
Social activist Tara Kerkar appealed to the people to unite and tackle the issue of coal pollution. Jayant Jadhav, while appreciating MMC for adopting a resolution to stop coal transportation through the city, demanded that the council implement the same.
Valigno Dias appealed to the people to support MMC’s stand on coal pollution. Advocate TT Shreedharan said that it was important for the citizens to file a fresh writ petition before the High Court seeking a stop to coal handling at the berths under Adani and JSW. The other citizens present for the debate also offered their support to the MMC on its decision to stop coal transportations through the city roads.
