The Times of India reported that the environmental public hearing on the proposed expansion plans of 7.2 MMTPA iron ore export terminal project of the Mormugao Port Trust had to be postponed on Sunday due to a technical fault by the Goa state pollution control board.

The GSPCB which had called the meeting had failed to provide the necessary 30 day notice period and published a newspaper advertisement only around 15 days ago. When Vasco resident Edwin Mascarenhas brought this to the notice of South Goa collector Mr ND Agrawal who was presiding over the hearing he found substance in the objection and said the hearing would be held at a later date after restarting the entire process.

Though the hearing was called with regard to new berths at MPT for the handling iron ore, the focus soon shifted on the coal pollution in the city. The citizens who had gathered for the hearing demanded that the MPT stop coal handling in Vasco as the resulting pollution was causing health hazards. They demanded the next public hearing also include coal pollution on the agenda. Cries of No coal, no coal constantly rang around the hall.

A resident Mr Savio Pereira de Andrade said "The MPT is making guinea pigs of us. They are testing the effects of coal on our health since no study has been done on this as yet."

Activist Ms Tara Kerkar said "Our children are suffering respiratory illnesses from coal pollution. She said that the GSPCB and MPT were taking the people of Vasco to be fools since they had kept quiet for so long.”

Ms Jennifer Lewis Kamat another resident said "We don't want coal in Vasco. We are for development but not at the cost of our health."

Mr Prashant Lotlikar a local said "First, we demand a highway before the MPT expansion."

Vasco parish priest Father Jose Antonio Costa said "While rich people were selling their residences and leaving to escape the city pollution and poorer people were suffering."

Source - The Times of India

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