Team Herald
VASCO: ‘Goa Against Coal’ (GAC), a umbrella of several anti-coal activists on Saturday threatened to intensify their agitation if the State government approves the enhancement of coal handling offered to the JSW company by the Union government.
Addressing a press conference at Vasco, GAC Convenor Custodio D’Souza demanded that MLAs must try to stop coal handling instead of their present stand of stopping pollution caused by coal transportation and that the government must completely stop coal handling in the State for the betterment of its people.
D’Souza said that coal handling in the port had polluted air, sea and had impacted the marine life. He said that those who were opposing coal handling in the port had now become MLAs and changed their stand of from opposing coal handling.
He appealed to these MLAs not to change their stand because they have joined ruling party and more because coal had destroyed their air and seas as well.
“I appeal to these MLAs to immediately oppose any enhanced coal handling in Mormugao Port and to stop coal totally instead of taking steps to reduce pollution,” he said.
Olencio Simoes said that the GAC was formed in 2016 to oppose the expansion plans of Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) and that activist had also raised their voices during public hearing.
He strongly condemned the enhanced EC offered to handle more coal at the MPA when hundreds of speakers had raised several objections to the expansion plans and enhancement to coal handling.
Simoes demanded to know on what basis the EC has been granted when they had written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of how the entire EIA report was manipulated.
He pointed out that the activists had in 2017 cautioned that double tracking, nationalisation of rivers, four-laning of national highways and coal handling capacity would be increased and it has come true now.
Simoes recalled that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar had also assured them that coal handling will not be increased at Mormugao Port but the present government is only telling them lies and is exposed with the Centre’s decision.
He appealed to MLAs and the government to revoke the EC granted by MoEF&CC to enhance coal handling at Mormugao Port because it will spell the doom of Mormugao Taluka failing which they will intensify their agitation.
