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‘Coal from Maha barges polluting Tiracol river

A Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) report about pollution in the Tiracol river has proved the worst fears of the locals true.

GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that the board has found that coal was spilling from barges at the point of unloading into the river, thus polluting it. He also said that spilling of coal would increase the carbon and turbidity which would disturb marine life.

Noronha said that the matter was discussed with the Tiracol church parish priest, fisherfolk and environment minister Alina Saldanha and the state government has now decided to take up the matter with the chief secretary of Maharashtra since the coal handling under way is within Maharashtra's jurisdiction.

The activity has put the future of the people of the villages of Keri, Paliem, Korgao, Devsu, Parashte, Nhaibag, Uguem and Torxem, who live along the river and depend on it for their livelihood, in
jeopardy.

The board had inspected the river last month based on a complaint filed by the Keri-Tiracol village panchayat.

During the inspection, village panchayat members informed the board members that natural barriers such as rocks beneath the surface of water which control sea water entering Tiracol river are being destroyed by the developers of the Aronda jetty through blasting and if natural barriers are destroyed, the village would be under threat.

The inspection report observed that coal is stacked at an approximate distance of 25m from the bank of the
river.

"During unloading of coal at the jetty, it was observed that a part of coal was spilling into the river," the inspection report stated.

The Goa government has already termed as illegal the transportation of coal through Tiracol river. The developers of Aronda jetty had not even applied for a no-objection certificate with the captain of ports, government officials have said.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com