Goa: Amid protests against railway line, minister says coal handling won’t be expanded

Existing handling of coal has been blamed for dust pollution in the port town of Vasco da Gama, which repeatedly reports the worst air quality in Goa

Amid protests against the expansion of the railway line from Goa to Karnataka, state environment Nilesh Cabral said the government has no plans for expanding the coal handling capacity. Cabral admitted that while consultants had recommended the expansion of the capacity, those plans had been shelved.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant has refused to scrap coal projects even as members of his Bharatiya Janata Party have supported those opposed to them.(File photo)

“Goa will not be a coal hub at all. This is a strong statement which I want to make on behalf of the government. An apprehension has been created that more coal will be brought to Goa. Currently, 10 to 12 million tons of coal are being imported annually. This will not increase. The government will make sure that the [quantum] will not increase.”

Cabral’s comments come a day after midnight protests against the railway expansion, which many believe will be used to ferry coal. Existing handling of coal has been blamed for dust pollution in the port town of Vasco da Gama, which repeatedly reports the worst air quality in Goa. Coal handling has also cited as the reason for mercury in edible oysters.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant has refused to scrap coal projects even as members of his Bharatiya Janata Party have supported those opposed to them.

In 2010, the railways sanctioned the doubling of the existing Hospet-Tinaighat-Vasco railway line from Karnataka and Goa. The first phase of the project between Hospet and Tinai ghat has been completed.