Team Herald
VASCO: In a major decision, the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Tuesday has officially written to Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) asking the port chairman to stop the transportation of ammonia and phosphorus through Vasco town.
Confirming the information, MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik said, “Yes today we have officially asked the MPT to stop all transportation of ammonia and phosphorus through Vasco town area until the enquiry by the concerned agency certifies that the tankers used for transporting such hazardous materials are of standard quality and as per standard”.
“After the ammonia tanker mishap, the port town residents are scared. We all practically saw what happens when ammonia leaks. In fact, Friday’s incident was an eye-opener as the way this incident occurred at Chicalim, if the same had happened in Vasco town and during day time, then we cannot imagine what could have happened. We are here to protect the citizens and not to put their lives at risk. Hence, we decided to ask the MPT to immediately suspend transportation of ammonia and phosphorus through Vasco town area as it is still not clear whether the tankers used for transporting such hazardous material are safe or not and whether the concerned agencies have certified the same or whether the transporter has a valid licence to transport such material which can lead to disaster,” Naik said.
“Recently, Vasco MLA made a statement in the media that he suspects that the quality of tankers used for transportation of ammonia is substandard and demanded an inquiry in this regard. Hence, taking cognizance of the incident and its aftereffect, besides taking views of concerned citizens, we came to conclusion that we will not allow MPT to transport ammonia and phosphorus from port to its destination until we get all papers, which are issued by the concerned agency, certifying that the tankers used for transporting ammonia and phosphorus are as per the specification of the required safety norms and safe for transportation,” he added.
