Team Herald
PANJIM: In a revelation which exposes the manner in which the MPT and South West Port Limited (SWPL) went about its business of handling excess coal, literally snubbing Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), it is clear that the directive to reduce coal handling by 25 percent was merrily flouted and this gross violation not even justified or explained.
GSPCB, during its Board meeting in February 2016, had decided to direct MPT to reduce its coal handling capacity by 25 percent after it noticed that the coal handled had been in excess. “Adhering to the Board directives, the coal handling had reduced for that period,” (March and April 2016), said an official of GSPCB. However, the lowering of the limit was done for only three months. For the entire financial year of 2015, the coal handled was 9.929 million tonnes as against the permissible limit of 5.5 million tonnes.
In 2016-17 it handled 10.112 million tonnes of coal. As a result, the board again in June-July 2017 wrote to SWPL for reduction in its coal handling facility by 25 percent and allowed the limit to 4.125 million tonnes. SWPL violated that too.
The official further said that from April to November 2017, SWPL was involved in excess handling of coal. “The permissible limit is 4.125 million tonnes (post 25 percent reduction), but they have handled 5.05 million tonnes of coal,” the official said.
GSPCB in December issued a show cause notice to MPT and SWPL for excess coal handling; in reply to which SWPL maintained silence on the coal handling issue. “The reply does not speak about coal handling at all,” the official said adding that SWPL has claimed that the pollution level in Vasco is not “exceptionally different from other cities of the State”.
