NAVIN JHA
navin@herald-goa.com
VASCO: Alleging that the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has acted contrary to its mandate of protecting the environment and public health, Goa Against Coal (GAC) members on Tuesday claimed that EAC’s act of recommending clearances in haste is unjust and detrimental to Goa’s environment and people’s lives.
“This decision indicates EAC’s failure to apply the ‘precautionary principle’ and the principle of ‘abundant caution’, especially in view of the unprecedented and historic public hearing setting a record in India for environmental public hearings. EAC should have given the stakeholders/impacted parties another opportunity to address the final submissions given by JSW’s South West Port Ltd (SWPL) to EAC,” said GAC member Cyril Fernandes.
He was reacting to the recommendation made for grant of environmental and CRZ clearance by EAC for the proposed terminal capacity enhancement at berth numbers 5-A and 6-A of MPT for handling coal and coal products.
“Also, EAC has acted contrary to its mandate of protecting the environment and public health. The recommendation for clearances in haste is unjust and detrimental to Goa’s environment and the life of the local population,” Fernandes claimed.
Another GAC member Edwin Mascarenhas said, “This was not a shocker because we had expected this and were prepared. We are going to put the issue before our legal and strategy team and we will come out with our future course of action.”
Environmental activist Abhijit Prabhudesai said, “It’s very clear that somebody somewhere is doing it wrong The Chief Minister should tell the ministry in a public statement not to grant EC or if it is granted then to revoke the same because it’s only a recommendation as yet and because Goa Government is opposed to any further expansion” he said. (Please read the Chief Minister’s statement in this regard published next to this story).
“The points raised by the people are fundamental and related to the EIA study so they cannot be resolved by making changes in the report. They can only be resolved if they go back and do a full study again,” said Prabhudesai. He went on to say, “This EC that has been recommended is completely arbitrary and without any application of mind and obviously for private profit. Also it seems that climate change has been added in the ministry of forest and environment but the climate change part is completely ignored by the ministry. If they have given slightest concerns for climate change then this project should have never been allowed.”
