PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Thursday directed the coal handling units – Adani and Jindal – operating at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to reduce capacity by 25 percent for the next two months until April.
As resolved by the Board last month, GSPCB, holding the two major coal handling terminals as responsible for increasing pollution in Vasco town, ordered Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Private Limited (berth No 7) and South West Port Limited – Jindal (berth No 5 and 6), to reduce their coal handling capacity till they implement measures to curb coal dust pollution in the town.
While renewing Adani’s consent to operate under the Water and Air Acts, it has reduced its handling facility to 3.9 million metric tonnes from the existing 5 million metric tonnes of coal. The facility is operational at terminal berth No 7.
In the case of JSW, the coal handling capacity is reduced to 4.125 million metric tonnes as against 5.5 million metric tonnes of coal. The directions would be in place till April 30.
“The air quality in and around the operation of the unit would be monitored by the Board till April 30,” GSPCB member secretary Levinson Martins said in the order.
JSW has also been directed to install a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring station within a period of 60 days from the date of receipt of these directions and submit online real time data to the Board.
On the other hand, Jindal, while granting renewal of consent, has been issued a series of directions to handle and tackle domestic waste, hazardous waste and measures under the Water and Air Acts.
GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said the Board, after going through the air pollution data, wherein the maximum permissible levels were exceeded several times by both companies, decided to reduce the coal handling capacity. He said that the measure will continue until the situation improves in Vasco.
Noronha said the board will monitor dust pollution in February, March and April before reviewing its decision asking the companies to reduce handling capacities.
