Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has observed that the pollution levels at the coal berth facilities operated by JSW and AMPTPL at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) exceed the permissible limit with particulate matter more or less consistently high throughout the year.
The Board observations reveal that the pollution level, which is between severe to moderately polluted, may cause respiratory effects on healthy people and serious lung and heart diseases to children and older persons.
As per the ambient air quality monitoring data installed at various locations, the parameters PM10 (particulate matter of 10 microns diametre) were found to be more or less consistently high in MPT area with the highest AAQM (air ambient quality monitoring) levels observed at Berth 5A-6A (JSW), where MPT has proposed increase in coal handling facility and Berth 7 (AMPTPL).
“The activities like train emissions, stock piling of coal, coke, woodchips, bauxite, stackers, loading and unloading activities of coal, coke, iron ore dumps, truck movement, ship emissions, are possible contributory sources of pollution,” the report stated.
“Though JSW, MPT and AMPTPL are using sprinklers for their coal handling or related activities, coupled with the un-tarred/un-concreted roads, vehicular and rail transportation, the contributions to dust generation needs to be quantified through source apportionment study,” the Board stated.
Accordingly, it has initiated a process to conduct a Source Apportionment Study through IIT Bombay, before considering an Environmental Clearance to the project.
