Team Herald
MARGAO: In response to the State government's decision to impose hefty fines for groundwater contamination, anti-double tracking activists have questioned why similar measures have not been taken to address the contamination caused by coal transportation in Goa.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently announced that there would be a Rs 10 lakh fine for those found polluting or contaminating groundwater.
Orville Dourado Rodrigues, a founder of Goencho Ekvott (GE), brought attention to the ongoing pollution near the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA). Rodrigues claims that the coal and coke cooling operations at the port involve water sprinklers, resulting in runoff that directly pollutes both seawater and groundwater sources in the port town. This contamination affects various water bodies, including open wells, which are crucial for the local population, activists added.
The issue extends beyond the port area, as Rodrigues points out that overloaded railway wagons transporting coal and coke leave a trail of pollution along the countryside. This spillage, he argues, leads to the contamination of groundwater in aquifers, lakes, fish ponds, and open wells along the transportation route. Rodrigues warns that the presence of hazardous chemicals in coal, such as sulphur, phosphorus, arsenic, and lead, raises significant health concerns.
GE states that these pollutants are known to cause a range of health issues, including conjunctivitis, severe dermatitis, and lesions of the digestive and respiratory systems. More alarmingly, they allege that these pollutants have been linked to lung and kidney cancer. Despite numerous scientific studies highlighting these dangers, Rodrigues claims that the health department has not made sufficient efforts to investigate the current status of groundwater in the affected rural areas.
The activists argue that the situation is particularly concerning for communities that rely heavily on open wells for their potable water supply, especially during the summer months. They fear that the high incidence of cancer cases in Goa, which the CM has acknowledged to be around 5%, may be connected to the transportation of hazardous coal through densely populated areas.
GE has thus demanded concrete action from the CM to ensure that Goa's residents are protected from coal-related pollution caused by both rail and road transportation.
Incidentally, while GE welcomes the Central government's move to create world-class cruise terminal facilities at MPA to boost tourism, Rodrigues points out a significant contradiction. Rodrigues claimed that certain major cruise operators have removed the Mormugao port from their itineraries due to severe coal pollution. This situation, according to GE, underscores that coal transportation and cruise tourism are incompatible industries for the region.
The activists have singled out South Western Railways (SWR) and MPA as the largest polluters of air and groundwater resources in Goa.
They argue that while fines for groundwater contamination are a step in the right direction, the govt must also address the pollution caused by coal transportation and handling.
GE maintains that coal and cruise tourism cannot coexist, and they welcome the move towards developing cruise tourism facilities. However, they insist that this development should not come at the cost of environmental degradation and public health risks associated with coal transportation. The activists continue to urge the government to take decisive action to address these concerns and ensure the well-being of Goa's residents and its natural resources.
They are also calling for immediate action and investigations into the environmental and health impacts of coal-related activities in the region through which the coal-laden wagons pass through like Velsao.