Goa hit national headlines this year with the contentious issues like coal pollution and declaration of six rivers as national waterways – the concerns of the public which remained unresolved as we enter the New Year 2018. Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government found itself constantly on the back foot, even though it eventually managed to outfox the opponents to a certain extent.
Coal pollution in Vasco city has been bone of contention for the BJP government, which is been under consistent pressure from the Centre, accused of making Goa a coal hub to favour few private firms like Adani and Jindal, who have coal handling facilities at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
MPT till last year handled nearly 12 million tons of coal cargo and now the Jindal South West Port Ltd (JSWP) has proposed further expansion of its coal handling facility. However, Government has admitted the fact that the coal handling has led to massive pollution in Vasco leading to health hazard; and has assured not to allow the expansion project.
On the other hand, notwithstanding the opposition, coalition government has decided to go ahead with the national waterways project by signing tripartite memorandum of Understanding (MoU), claiming that the move will give the State powers to control the six rivers- Chapora, Cumbarjua, Mandovi, Mapusa, Sal and Zuari. Chief Minister is hell-bent to go ahead with the project- with people alleging it to be a special water corridor for transportation of coal.
The year 2017 also saw, fresh people’s movement picking up pace against these controversial issues. After the Regional Plan 2011, which witnessed major people’s movement, the expansion and national waterways projects gearing up for massive protest from every corner of South Goa- the movement which may even continue for the coming new year.
As many as 60 VPs of Goa’s 183 villages have passed resolutions opposing the movement of coal through their areas as the government moves ahead with plans to create a road-rail-river coal corridor between Mormugao port and steel factories in north Karnataka. Goans fear that the plan will increase pollution, hurting their health, their land and their livelihoods.
Citizens banded together under two movements – Goa Against Coal, and Our River, Our Rights – to stop these projects. They have already petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to stop both the projects, which they alleged are being arbitrarily imposed on the people of Goa.
The recently concluded winter session of the State Legislative Assembly held major debate on the two burning issue, with opposition demanding for a resolution to remove six Goa rivers from the National Waterways Act. Congress, who failed to corner government, has also pushed for complete ban on coal handling activities at MPT.
On the national waterways issue, while Chief Minister clarified that State Assembly cannot amend Parliament law, on the coal issue he exposed how then Congress government- State and Centre- sabotage interest of Vasco and allow coal handling.
Though, Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari claimed that he is “willing” to shift the coal handling berth to Maharashtra, if people don’t want it; but the fact is by 2030, the government aims to increase coal imports to 51 million tones, with major focus on MPT.
