PANJIM | June 26, 2017: In a bid to work out solution for the pollution caused as a result of iron ore activities, Indian Institute of Technology - Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad has developed a draft road map which proposes pollution and other related audit of all the operational mines in the State. The ISM is also in favour of phasing out of smaller and older generation trucks replacing it by larger fully mechanised trucks for transportation of ore.
The ISM, which was roped in by the mining companies to suggest measures for curbing pollution and framework for monitoring of air ambient quality, on Monday had presentation before the official of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and the mining companies. A draft road map was placed before the attendees, wherein Board has directed ISM to submit a comprehensive plan highlighting short term, medium term and long term measures to curb pollution.
ISM will be submitting their final draft on Wednesday, based on which the Board will decide on the applications received from 42 mining lease holders for grant of Consent to Operate, including 12 from the Sonshi village.
“We had a meeting. ISM made a presentation proposing a framework for monitoring of air ambient quality that focuses on who will deal with the monitoring, who to be held accountable and where the air monitoring stations be placed,” GSPCB member secretary Levinson Martins said after the meeting.
He said that the Board has asked ISM to submit their final report on Wednesday spelling out detail measures to curb pollution.
The mining industry had recently came into sharp criticism following protest by Sonshi villagers in Sattari taluka over the increasing dust pollution in their locality due to transportation of iron ore. The mining firms and the GSPCB were at the loggerheads over higher pollution reading.
The Board had found six clusters include-Codli, Dharbandora, Suctolim, Sigao, Sonshi and Usgao as the most polluting clusters indicating PM10 (dust pollution) exceeding its limit from the months of October 2016 to March 2017. Accordingly, the Board had declined to renew the consent to operate of 42 mining firms in April, with situation continuing till date.
A mining industry official, present for the meeting, informed that the ISM has proposed audit protocol of all the operational mines. “It will be a self- governing framework, wherein the mining officials from one firm will visit and inspect the mine belonging to the other company. The audit will be undertaken on various fronts including pollution level,” official said.
Official also stated that as a short term measure, ISM has proposed phasing out of older generation trucks that is ten year old trucks and replacing them with new mechanized fully covered trucks, thus zeroing the chances of pollution in the vicinity. “The same proposal was initially mooted by the mining companies and was agreed upon by the Board in our previous meeting,” official added.
Deployment of mechanised road sweeping machines, installation of wheel washing system, rumblers, etc are some of the short term measures proposed.
(Source: https://www.heraldgoa.in/)