Following a tradition of adopting new resolutions, the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) recently adopted yet another one. This time the local body aims to put a stop to the movement of coal in the city. The council has decided to add a new resolution this time – they want to stop the plying of bauxite trucks through city roads. The MMC’s decision is based on the fact that these trucks not only cause pollution in the port town, but they also contribute to the increase in traffic on the road, besides posing a risk to commuters.
The decision came at the turn of the year when the MMC, on Monday, during its special council meeting unanimously resolved to stop coal and bauxite transportation through Vasco. The decision was taken following a proposal placed before the council by Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida. It was supported by the councilors of all 25 wards as they too felt the need to eradicate coal and bauxite being moved using the roads of the port town.
Almeida claimed that during the last Assembly session, he had tabled an LAQ pertaining to the level of pollution in Vasco. In reply, he was informed that levels of pollutants were well above the permissible limit. He went on to add that doctors in Vasco also confirmed that various children began suffering chest and other respiratory diseases due to coal pollution and that it was the need of the hour that the council and he should jointly take a stand to provide residents of the port town with a pollution free atmosphere.
“This was a long pending demand of Vascoites,” said Almeida, adding, “It is these people who have been suffering the effects and not anyone else. The council today, has wholeheartedly supported my proposal and has adopted a resolution against the transportation of coal and bauxite. This goes to show that the council and the MLA are working together for the betterment of the public at large.” He also said that the next step would be to seek the consent of the collector on the matter to stop the movement of coal and bauxite. “The consent of the collector is necessary to stop the movement of the materials as more than 350 bauxite trucks and about 150 to 200 coal trucks pass through Vasco on a daily basis, inconveniencing citizens. If the collector does stop the transportation, then we are ready to approach the court to put an end to it completely,” he told the Herald.
While Almeida is making efforts and playing his part in trying to put an end to coal and bauxite transportation through the city, MMC Chairperson, Deepak Naik has decided to call a joint meeting with government department officials to see to it that transportation stops as soon as possible. “I have decided to call a joint meeting with the RTO, traffic police, deputy collector of Mormugao and other agencies to ensure that the decision taken by the council gets the support of the government and citizens of Vasco get relief from the pollution. We also aim to reduce the risk for commuters,” Naik told Herald.
The people of Vasco are relieved at the decision to stop the movement of transportation trucks through the city and have started dreaming of a pollution and congestion free space.
They are however, skeptical and are waiting to see whether the decision taken by the Municipal body will succeed or fail like the numerous other resolutions taken in the past.
The Chief Officer of the MMC, Deepali Naik claimed that the action on the ground would commence soon after the council confirms the minutes of the meeting at the next council meet. “Certainly the council has the power to stop such transportation which is opposed by the people and supported by the council. Once the minutes of the last meeting get confirmed, one will be able to see action on the ground,” she informed the Herald.
The issue of transportation also has its own political influence on the port town with political leaders looking to use the issue as mileage for their own benefit. Moving ahead in the same direction, members of the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday submitted a memorandum to the deputy collector of Mormugao. In their memorandum, AAP volunteers from the city raised serious concerns over the number of deaths and accidents reported in the last three years. They even pointed out the issue of traffic congestion on the roads on account of the movement of heavy vehicles carrying coal and bauxite. They demanded that the government make alternate arrangements for the diversion of these vehicles by constructing a temporary road through Gandhinagar to Ravindra Bhavan in Baina till the completion of NH17B takes place.
AAP also gave a 15 day ultimatum to the government to fulfill their demands, failing which they promised to come out on to the roads in protest.
Vasco doctors have confirmed that many children have started contracting various chest and respiratory disorders due to coal pollution and the plying of bauxite trucks has only added to this worry. The official records of the State police department shows that about 10 innocent people lost their life due to accidents with trucks and tankers in the past three years. It is high time the government looks at the issue of pollution and the risk of accidents to citizens. The MMC might be successful in banning the movement of coal and bauxite trucks through the city, but aside from taking up this issue, it is high time that the MLA, ministers and the council should jointly make efforts to ensure that the pending work on NH17B from Varunapuri to Mormugao Port trust (MPT) is completed rapidly.
“MMC has no rights to stop coal transportation”
In response to the ongoing controversy over MMC’s resolution to stop coal and bauxite transportation through the city, the Vice-president of Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt LTd, Venkatesh HR said that the council has no power to stop any transport movement to the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). He noted that instead of tackling the issue of pollution and seeking the speedy completion of the NH17B to MPT, the leaders are unnecessarily raking up other issues. “Firstly, I want to confirm that there is no pollution due to the handling of coal at MPT. Secondly, we have adopted stringent measures to ensure that no coal whatsoever spills out of trucks during transportation. Thirdly, the MMC needed to understand the fact that out of a total of 15 million tonnes of coal cargo, only about 5 or 6 lakh tonnes are transported via road per annum and the rest via railways,” he said. He went on to add that in a day, an average of 40 to 50 trucks take the cargo from coal berths to supply the same to local industries depending on the coal for sustenance.
“It is nothing but an extortion bid by leaders because the elections are nearing,” he said. He noted that the MMC didn’t have the power to stop anything, adding that the transportation of woodchips constitutes 90 percent of the total cargo movement from MPT, followed by container trucks and then bauxite and iron ore. Coal stands last on the list of total transport movements from MPT. Venkatesh also insisted that if the transportation of coal is stopped, it will be the steel industries in Goa that will face the brunt of the decision and not the Adani group which has been facing losses in Goa for the last two years.
“If they really want to take action, they should stop heavy vehicle transportation and not target only coal handling units alone,” he informed.
