Panaji: After massive protests by locals,
Goa State pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has asked Sesa Goa
Limited to stop all activities at its coke oven unit at
Navelim in Bicholim taluka, 40 kms away from here.
The locals held a day long bandh yesterday protesting
against the increasing pollution allegedly due to coke oven
plant at Navelim.
The villagers complained about the black soot being
emanated from the plant, which has entered their water sources
and even houses.
GSPCB Member Secretary Lavinsons Martin last evening
issued orders to Sesa Goa Limited`s Metcocke division to stop
all the activities within 48 hours, until further orders.
The notice mentions that the second battery of the coke
oven plant is under pre-heating and officials of M/s Sesa Goa
present during the inspection have admitted that there was
soot generation due to misfiring of high capacity diesel
burners.
The same soot, the notice reads, was dispersed through the
stack and was deposited in the nearby residential areas of
Navelim.
The GSPCB has also noticed that Sesa Goa has not carried
out ambient air quality monitoring since June 2012.
"The continuous ambient air monitoring station has not yet
been commissioned," the notice reads.
Martins said the conditions stipulated in the consent to
operate orders are not adhered to. So also it is not clear if
the chief inspector of factories and boilers were informed in
advance about the operation of the unit.
The pollution control board has asked the company to take
all necessary precaution by carrying out root cause analysis
for misfiring of burners during pre-heating of coke oven and
submit preventive measures you propose to undertake so as to
ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
The directorate of factories and boilers, the state run
department, has been directed to conduct the comprehensive
investigation of the incident and submit report within seven
days to the pollution control board.
PTI
