VASCO: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been asked by the people of Vasco to meet them and explain his stand that coal pollution is not an issue in Vasco.
Sanjay Redkar, a member of Goa Against Coal (GAC) said, “People are suffering but they are also afraid of coming out in the open. If the Chief Minister really wants to make any statement on this issue let him come to Vasco and make it. A permanent solution to this issue is total closure of coal operations and people are suffering from coal dust which only kills and is not curable.”
Secretary of the National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) and joint general secretary of Goenchea Ramponkaranchea Ekvott (GRE), Olencio Simoes, said, “Every house in Vasco is affected by coal dust. Not only Vasco but from Seraulim to Dona Paula. The Mormugao Municipality passed a resolution to stop coal transportation.” He added, “We only want that MPT should stop handling of such dirty cargo. Entire Goa know that the Centre plans to make Goa a coal hub and for that the
government is spending Rs 14 crore per day for infrastructure by building roads, double railway line, nationalisation of rivers etc.”
South Goa-based RTI activist Avinash Tavares said, “The gram sabhas have been passing resolutions against coal
transportation. Let the Vasco BJP MLA make a statement.”
President of ‘The Concerned Citizens Group Vasco’, Advocate T T Sridharan, said, “If there is no pollution in Vasco then why, for all these years, have people been fighting against this menace? During the monsoon the pollution level is low due to atmospheric conditions but that does not means that it is within the permissible limits. If they can’t handle and transport coal without pollution, the best remedy to eliminate coal pollution is to stop coal handling and transportation.”
Abhijit Prabhudesai of Rainbow Warriors, an environmental organisation opposing illegal mining and coal pollution in Vasco said, “The only way forward is to stop all coal handling. As per the 2012 master plan for MPT, they are supposed to remove all dirty hazardous cargo. They must move out coal. This dilly dallying is only to try and help private parties which are against the town.”
