Team Herald
VASCO: People living in and around Khariwado had to breathe wood dust contaminated air from Friday night till Saturday evening when unloading of woodchips cargo from a vessel was finally concluded, at Berths 10 and 11 of Mormugao Port.
Incidentally, on March 10, the members of Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association (GFBOA) had raised strong concerns over the rise in wood chips dust pollution in and around Khariwado jetty and had demanded relief from such pollution which hampers their operations, besides posing health risk to them.
Notwithstanding their concerns, the fishermen community was forced to face similar pollution even on Friday and Saturday.
Clement D’Souza, an aggrieved trawler owner complained, “This is not for the first time that we have been witnessing such severe saw dust pollution as even in past whenever unloading of woodchips takes place, we face heavy dust pollution. However, this time, due to heavy winds, the pollution was high; instead of stopping the operations for return of calm winds, unloading activity continued and we were left to face hardships.”
The fishermen complained that due to dust pollution, their labours were unable to even to cook and eat food. “Not only the jetty premises, but even the fishing trawlers, cabins and houses located in and around Khariwado got covered in saw dust and we had to face tough time,” said another trawler owner.
When Herald contacted, MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar said, “Though I am not aware of the issue, if there is pollution, then, I will immediately ask the vessel agents to pass instructions to the cargo handling staff to spray more water over the cargo so that the same does not blow along with the heavy winds. I will surely find some solution to the issue as we don’t want people to face problems.”
