Team Herald
vasco: The crucial environmental public hearing for the proposed Liquid Cargo Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) held at the Chicalim Football Ground in Mormugao on Friday saw a crowd of around 500 people which included citizens, social as well as environmental activists from Mormugao taluka and other parts of South Goa attend the hearing.
The hearing, which began at around 10.30 am, was chaired by the Collector Tariq Thoman, IAS alongside Additional Collector Johnson Fernandes and GSPCB Engineer Sangeev Joglekar.
Although the citizens overwhelmingly supported the fishing jetty, they raised several objections to the POL berth. Sherwin Correa, a law student from Vasco, said that the proposed project is a piece of a larger jigsaw puzzle that has been prepared for Goa, referring to the proposed enhancement of coal berths, double tracking of railway lines and upcoming highway at Loutolim. “Last time I had spoken of the pollution caused by existing operations which still continue unabated. I along with some fellow citizens were compelled to approach the honourable high court against the pollution”, he said.
He slammed the MPT for not conducting any study of employment potential for Goan youth. Referring to the EIA report which states that only 70 people will be employed during construction of the project, he accused the consultant Ultra-tech of copy-pasting the contents related to employment in the EIA from another EIA document of Muttum Light house.
Abhijit Prabhudesai of Federation of Rainbow warriors slammed the Environment impact assessment calling it “inadequate” and having no relevance. He said that the shoreline study in the report shows that the project site has the highest level of erosion. “They have lied by stating that the Mormugao coast in stable.” He stated that earlier Vasco beach was as wide as a football ground but now has been eroded to a narrow strip due to MPT’s dredging activities.
Diana Tavares stated that Form 1 of the EIA Report conceals a lot of information and that MPT has failed to comply with the Terms of Reference given to them by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Advocate Savio Correa, a resident of Vasco, questioned MPT whether the land on which the project is proposed is owned by MPT. He stated that MPT does not own the land and that it belongs to the government of Goa. “MPT’s claim of ownership of Vasco beach is erroneous. Port limits is for administrative and regulatory activities of the port. It does not confer any ownership rights to MPT,” he said.
Correa quoted an answer from a legislated question by a local MLA where it stated that the land on which the fishing jetty at Vasco is standing belongs to the government of Goa.
David Rodrigues, a resident of Borim, objected to the project stating that it is meant for coal expansion. He stated that the NH4 is being expanded for coal transportation from MPT and it is being done by keeping the people in the dark. “People have objected to the destruction of the hills, water bodies, forest and low lying areas which is being bulldozed without any environmental study,” he said and claimed that the Government is not listening to their objections.
Dinesh Dias, a resident of Salvador do Mundo, was the final speaker of the day. He pointed out several discrepancies related to the length of the berths and the depths of the jetty. However, his verbal submission was cut short due to the rain. The Collector adjoined the hearing and scheduled it for Saturday. Dias was the sixth of the 45 speakers scheduled to present their verbal submissions during the hearing.
Other issues which were raised at the MPT were regarding disaster management, the validity of High Tide line, wave tranquility study and sedimentation studies.
