VASCO: With every passing day the citizen’s anger against the coal dust pollution in the port town is increasing. Every statements made by the politicians is received by the citizens with the pinch of salt. Recently Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida supported Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who said that coal pollution in Vasco has decreased but other BJP MLAs from Mormugao taluka think differently.
Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha said, “In my last tenure as the minister for environment and forest, I had visited Vasco city as well as MPT and I had seen and felt the pollution and definitely this pollution has to come to an end. It has to be within the permissible limits. I think the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured us that this pollution will be taken care of and that only handling of coal will be allowed within the permissible limits. So I don’t see any reasons for the people to panic, we should lay our faith on chief minister who will do the needful.”
When asked what was her take on pollution exists, Saldanha said, I am not aware about present situation as I have not gone there lately; nor I have spoken to the people of the area. If it is definite fact that pollution level have come down then it is something to rejoice about. However, I would like to state one fact that we have to be very careful while stating the levels because during the monsoons the readings are very-very low so the readings should be taken now when the atmosphere is dry. It is at this time you will get accurate readings and if these readings show decrease then definitely we should be happy about it.”
Mormugao MLA Milind Naik also feels that coal pollution should be stopped. On present status of pollution in the port town, he said, “I have not received any complaint about coal pollution recently, but compared to the past, I feel that the pollution is currently under control and I can make out from my own house (Naik’s house is located just opposite Adani Coal stack).”
He said that not a single person from Mormugao complained to him about the coal pollution, recently. “As far as I know, previously coal pollution was too much and now the same is reduced at least in our area. I don’t know about Vasco,” he said.
He said that though he has not read the GSPCB report, he feels that pollution same is under control.
“I have come to know that JSW (the company that has applied for expansion) is planning for covered shed and in future coal handling will be done inside this shed, so there will not be any question of pollution at all. I don’t know what Adani is doing, but I feel that even they should follow the same. I will not keep quite if I receive any complaint on pollution,” he said.
Panchayat Minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho said that there should not be any pollution in Vasco or in Mormugao Taluka or anywhere else in Goa. “I feel that for every polluting thing, systems have to be put in place where there is no pollution at all and with modern technology this is possible,” he said.
Commenting on the opposition to the coal handling in Goa, he said, “It is time to pounder the way we propagates certain things — whether we should leave motor car or motorcycle for the pollution it causes and go back to the bullock cart age. Do we in Goa realise that we enjoy the power and light in Goa only because of the power produced by power plants run only on coal as the fuel? Somewhere we need to strike a right balance.”
