Coal news and updates

Mumbai Port Trust to stop handling coal, victory for anti-pollution drive

In a victory for the city, the Mumbai Port Trust has decided to put an end to its coal handling operations in Sewri. TOI has campaigned against the port trust's handling of coal in a series of articles highlighting the extent to which the coal has devastated the environment and severely affected the health of those living around it.

About 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of coal form toxic mountains on the eastern sea front today. Fisherfolk, residents and students at a nearby maritime institution suffer respiratory problems because of it. The phlegm they cough up each day is black with coal. Warehouses in the area have lost business as coal dust accumulates in them.

Much of the imported coal, which arrives by ship and is stored on port lands, is then transported by rail wagons to Mahagenco plants in Nashik and Bhusaval. A portion of the coal is used by local steel plants.

Vice Admiral I C Rao (Retired) and citizen activist Meera Sanyal had filed a petition in the Bombay high court last year seeking to prevent the state's pollution regulator from renewing its 'consent to operate' for coal handling on port trust land. The consent order expired last September. The court asked the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to hear the case. MPCB dragged its feet on the issue for 10 months, during which time the port trust handled coal without a valid consent order.

Last month, the MPCB surreptitiously renewed the consent order, back-dated to September last year. The consent to operate expires in October.

"We have decided to stop handling coal in the larger interests of the city," said Gautam Dey, business development manager, MBPT.

According to a notice issued by the port trust on Friday, it would stop handling coal from October 31. Vessels carrying coal will not be allowed at the port trust after September 24. The notice went on to say that coal importers would have to clear the area by October 30.

"We welcome the decision, which is long overdue," said Rao. "The port trust has conveyed its intention to stop coal handling for the last two years. We are glad they have finally taken a decision on this. However, we hope this is properly implemented and the area cleaned of coal. With a limited number of trains ferrying the coal from the port land to Nashik and Bhusawal, it would take at least two months to clear the area of 1.5 lakh tonnes of coal. This means that the railways must be able to work at the desired efficiency. There must also be enough place to store the coal in Nashik and Bhusawal. We will be satisfied when all the coal dust from the ground is removed, as its presence will affect people, flora and fauna for many years to come."

Prabhakar Koli, a fisherman and secretary of the Koli Samaj Housing Society in Sewri, which has been greatly affected by the pollution caused by coal, is delighted to hear of the port trust's decision to stop handling coal. "We have been complaining of the pollution caused by coal since 2007. Every so often, the port trust stops coal handling and then restarts it. This is a big racket involving all the authorities," said Koli.

"This is very good news," said Hemlata Kharvi, who lives in Makani Chambers close to the coal heap. Residents there suffer from severe respiratory problems. "I feel the port trust decision is because of the series of articles TOI wrote, highlighting every aspect of the issue," said Kharvi, whose brother-in-law had TB.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com