MMC gives 30-day ultimatum to stop coal transportation through Vasco

MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik, along with the councillors and people of Vasco, has given an ultimatum to the government to stop the coal transportation through the city roads or face a forceful halt.

The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) had adopted a resolution to stop the transportation of coal during its meeting in January 2016. The council had also written to the state administration giving it 30 days to respond to the resolution. Now the council has threatened to stop all coal transportation if the government fails to respond to their request within 30 days.

According to Deepak Naik, following a proposal from the Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida regarding the increasing coal pollution, the council had unanimously resolved in January last year to stop the transportation of the coal/bauxite trucks keeping in mind the health risks posed to Vasco citizens.

“We had adopted this crucial resolution with the hope and belief that once the copy of resolution is sent to the state administration, immediate action would be taken. However, it is sad to say that despite sending repeated reminders to officials concerned, we haven’t received any reply from them,” Naik complained.

“We, the council members as well as citizens of port town, had resolved to stop the transportation. I don’t want to specify who has been contributing more to the pollution among both the coal handling agencies at MPT. Coal is transported by two companies — Adani and JSW. However, since JSW has been transporting its cargo through rail and Adani by road, I feel that it is due to Adani that Vasco citizens have been suffering,” he said.

“It more than 15 months since we had taken this resolution, even the citizens many a time have come out to protest against coal pollution in Vasco, but as the officials are not responding to our reminders and are delaying in passing the order to stop coal and bauxite transportation, we have now decided to give 30 days’ time to officials concerned failing which the council members and other citizens will come and the trucks transporting coal and bauxite through the city roads” Naik warned.