Panaji: Owing to the windy conditions leading to air pollution in the Vasco town, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has directed Jindal Group owned South West Port Limited (SWPL) to stop coal handling activities at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) with immediate effect.
GSPCB member secretary Shamila Monteiro said that the Board has asked SWPL to keep on hold the coal handling activities till further directions. “Due to windy condition, there is heavy breeze. And there are discharge of coal particles leading to pollution in the area,” she said.
SWPL was granted consent to handle coal cargo in June last year. The board had reduced the consented capacity to 0.4 million tonnes per month which is 3.6 MMT for nine months from July to March, 2019.
