Team Herald
VASCO: The public hearing for the third proposed project which is redevelopment of berth number 8, 9 and barge berth at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) witnessed noisy scenes several times on Friday after the officials from MPT failed to justify the discrepancies in the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and Form-1 submitted by port trust.
The moment MPT concluded their presentation, Dinesh Dias, accountant from Salvador do Mundo, sought clarifications as to why they submitted different, mismatching information in the in draft EIA and in Form-1 for proposed project of redevelopment of berth number 8, 9 and barge berth at MPT.
Dias even pointed out several discrepancies in the EIA report. “Both the projects, including deepening of approach channel by MPT, and redevelopment of berth number 8, 9 and barge berth of MPT involves dredging/deepening of approach channels, however in Form -1 application and EIA report filed by MPT for both the projects, the information does not tally at all, though deepening aspects of the projects is same. Also, all three proposed projects are one and MPT have sub-divided into three different projects in order to get the approvals by misleading information but they got caught,” Dias said.
To this, MPT failed to give satisfactory reply and said they stood by Form-1. At times, the officials from MPT contradicted their own statements. Irked with such misleading replies, citizens present for the public hearing shouted slogans demanding that the Presiding officer Johnson Fernandes should ask a competent officer to come on dais. NCP leader Jose Philip D’Souza who was present at the public hearing also questioned as to why MPT Chairman or Deputy Chairman were not attending such crucial hearings and why they have deputed persons who aren’t capable of giving satisfactory replies.
Later, under protest, public hearing continued and Dias bombarded MPT with queries for which MPT officials had no reply and that even surprised the Presiding officer and others present at the public hearing. “I want to know when the second project is for dredging, in that case why have they (MPT) included dredging even in the third project. The EIA for redevelopment of berth number 8, 9 and barge berths speaks of covered sheds, but the same agency that prepared the EIA for expansion of coal handling at 5A and 6A has not mentioned anything about the covered shed, why so? Also in an affidavit by MPT before court, they have said that they have completed 68 per cent of dredging work, but the EIA report says 55 per cent work was completed. I feel there is a huge scam going on which needs a vigilance or CBI inquiry because in future without doing any work they will be billing, who knows what’s happening,” Dias asked.
Later, Vasco-based environment activist Advocate Savio J F Correia also raised serious doubts on the EIA report. He said many facts relating to the environment have been suppressed in Form -1 as well as in the draft EIA.
Likewise, everyone present during the public hearing raised their strong objection and demanded that no permission should be given to MPT and other parties for any of the three proposed projects at MPT. All who got an opportunity to express their views claimed that the project(s) would lead to severe destruction of the environment and ecology. * Some citizens even raised serious question on GSPCB’s intention. They said if a layman can understand the ill- effects of such projects then how come the GSPCB couldn’t.
